Two Virginia-based small to medium enterprises received a prestigious honor from the Queensland Community Foundation (QFC) last June. Versace Timbers and Elliott Australia were named as Philanthropists of the Year for its social consciousness and positive impact on the community.
A long-established family-owned business, Versace Timbers was nominated by the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. The charity organization has benefited from Versace Timbers’ various fund-raising activities. The timber company has specifically chosen to support this cause because it belongs to an industry dominated by men.
“We are humbled to have played a small part in raising vital funds into the research of Prostate Cancer and raise awareness that this terrible disease is curable if detected early and the importance of being proactive rather than reactive, particularly if there is a family history,” Versace Timbers managing director Graham Leddy said.
Composed of less than 200 employees, Versace Timbers was established in Queensland in 1956 as a supplier of flooring, fences, doors, hardwood, roof trusses, decking material, and other construction needs. The company also specializes in home building, renovation and extensions.
Elliot Australia, on the other hand, was nominated by the S J Hill Foundation and Bryan Foundation. Founder and managing director Anthony Elliot devised a Modified Rugby Program (MRP) to help children with disabilities experience the sport through their GingerCloud Foundation.
“Fourteen per cent of school-age kids can’t participate in sport (because of disabilities) and that is very very sad – for us to see some of those kids now grow and progress through our programs is just such a highlight – it is one of the most rewarding things of my life,” Mr Elliot told the press.
When Mr Elliot started devoting his time to the GingerCloud Foundation in 2014, there were only 16 beneficiaries playing rugby. To date, there are 24 teams within the MRP across Queensland and ACT.
Versace Timbers has a hardware store and warehouse at 33 Vauxhall Street in Virginia. Elliot Australia’s operation is on 23 Vauxhall Street.