Wesfarmers Health - Community
Wesfarmers Health’s mission is to “make Australians’ health, beauty and wellness experiences simpler, more affordable and easier to access.” As part of this mission, the business is committed to providing care and support to the communities in which it operates.
During the 2024 financial year, Wesfarmers Health, through the Priceline Sisterhood Foundation, contributed $1.2 million to initiatives and charities in pursuit of supporting the community, compared to $0.7 million the previous financial year.
By working with selected charities through the Priceline Sisterhood Foundation (the Foundation), Wesfarmers Health gives back to the community, and specifically, provides support to women and their families.
In the 2024 financial year, the business broadened its commitment to the community by introducing community health initiatives such as the Shane Warne Legacy.
Priceline Sisterhood Foundation
The Foundation is a charitable organisation that was formed in 2011 with the primary purpose of supporting women and their families. The Foundation is managed by a separate Board comprising two Wesfarmers Health senior executives and four independent non-executive directors. The Foundation also appointed its inaugural Executive Officer in April 2024.
Wesfarmers Health directs all material charitable contributions through the Foundation.
Priceline Sisterhood Foundation Charity Partners
During 2024, the Foundation continued its relationship with Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA), which provides advice to support the 1 in 5 new mums and 1 in 10 new dads who experience postnatal depression; Raise Foundation, which creates thriving communities across Australia by delivering best practice, early intervention mentoring programs in high schools to help young people become resilient, capable and connected; and Motherless Daughters Australia, a charity that supports girls and women who have experienced mother loss.
The Foundation also welcomed two new charity partners: Fitted for Work, an organisation that helps women become work ready, gain secure employment and experience success in their careers by supporting the development of their practical skills, knowledge and self-esteem; and SisterWorks, an organisation that supports migrant, refugee and asylum seeker women to become economically empowered by helping them to develop skills, confidence and connections. It also supports women to find employment, start their own businesses and navigate the Australian system.
In total, the Foundation disbursed $1.2 million dollars to these partners during the year.
The Foundation Board selected these charity partners in line with its selection criteria, which assesses how each organisation can demonstrate a positive impact on the health (mental, physical and financial) of Australian women and their families.
The Foundation supports capacity building of its charity partners so that they, in turn, can achieve greater impact. To ensure mutually beneficial alignment, charity partners present their strategic plans and business objectives twice a year to the Foundation Board. In these presentations, they outline project details and provide quantitative metrics on how donated funds are used and impact is measured.
Wesfarmers Health is also aware of the value it can bring to its charity partners through internal capabilities and established relationships. By leveraging the power of its relationships, Wesfarmers Health can connect charity partners with people within the business who can impart knowledge and skills that can further support its charity partners’ journey to self-sufficiency.
Foundation Fundraising Activities
Since its inception, the Foundation has raised over $10.6 million dollars towards its goal of supporting the community with a focus on women and their families. Fundraising efforts come in the form of donations by customers and team members within stores, from vendors/suppliers, conference sponsorship, and at standalone special events such as the annual Priceline Sisterhood Foundation Charity Golf Day event.
This year’s Golf Day was held in March 2024 at The Eastern Golf Club in Yering. The event raised over $100,000 dollars.
