Bev Carman
Patron
Bev Carman has been a patron of Northern Health and Northern Health Foundation for over 15 years.
Bev Carman is a long-standing Northern Health Foundation patron who wants to ensure all members of the northern community has access to cancer treatments locally.
When Bev’s daughter was diagonsed with cancer, at the time, Cancer Services was not yet established at Northern Hospital Epping.
Bev rallied her local networks, community members, local councillors and politicians along with the Northern Health medical workforce to lobby state and federal governments to rise to the cause.
Through her tireless efforts and incredible tenacity, Bev was responsible for securing the funding from Government to establish cancer services at Northern Hospital Epping.
Bev’s support and fundraising continues to leave an enduring legacy at Northern Health and within her community, and is still heavily involved in fundraising for Cancer Services. She also sits on our Community Event’s Committee as a valued member.
Her Northern Health Foundation Race Day and Oak’s Day events are popular on our annual events calendar.
She is a passionate advocate for Northern Health and the northern community.
Trudi Hay
Patron
Trudi Hay is a Director on the Northern Health Foundation Board and Chair of our Community Events Committee.
Trudi has a background in Marketing, Advertising and Events and has been mentioned in State and Federal Parliament for her work in Philanthropy in the Hume area.
She has been a long time supporter of the Northern Hospital Epping, specifically fundraising for Day Oncology for over 10 years including helping to upgrade treatment chairs, privacy screens and scalp cooling machines for Northern Hospital Epping and Craigieburn Centre.
Josie Minitti
Patron
Josie Minniti OAM has been fundraising for over 24 years supporting a number of Hospitals and Cancer Charities during that time.
Josie works within her local community to fundraise as cancer has affected many of her family and community members.
She organises a range of activities to bring the community together with the hope of raising funds to buy medical equipment to be used to improve the comfort of those suffering from cancer.
During this time Josie has raised over $700,000 through her events, raffles and auctions to support both Northern Hospital Epping and Austin Hospital Cancer Units.
Busy Fingers Auxiliary
Busy Fingers was founded in 1973 and since that time have been enthusiastic fundraisers and volunteers within the Northern Community.
Their first project was to raise funds to establish independent Aged Care services in the North, fast forward to 2019, they fundraise for the Northern Health Bundoora Centre who provide a range of aged care services and outreach programs to the local community.
The outreach program’s main aim is to provide care and support in the home enabling the elderly to remain in their own homes as long as possible. The Busy Fingers Shop was opened 25 years ago in the Foyer of Bundoora Centre and stocks a wide range of items including hand-made items and donated goods from members and the local community.
The Busy Fingers Shop has raised well over a million dollars since that time and is busier than ever. This dedicated group, led by their current President, Kerry Wall, has raised over $3,000,000 for aged care services and support since 1973 which is an amazing effort and an indication of their dedication to Bundoora and the aged care services that Northern Health provide to the local community.
We are grateful for the support of the Auxiliary in funding medical equipment for our aged care service. Each and every day they have a positive impact on patient care within the Centre and the Bundoora Centre and for that we will be forever grateful.
Northern Knitting Community
The Knitting Guild is a dedicated group of ladies who have been supporting Northern Health and the Foundation for over thirty years.
Bina Connelly, pictured, is a former Northern Health employee who started at PANCH and that is where she began knitting in 1991 with one of the local volunteers. When Bina moved to Northern Hospital Epping to work she continued to knit to support our patients to have a positive experience whilst in hospital.
Bina and the team of ladies from the Knitting Guild are using their talent to help the Northern Health Foundation. The items they make are sold at Northern Hospital Epping and in the Busy Fingers Shop at Bundoora Centre. All the funds go to the Northern Health Foundation to help fund the purchase of medical equipment
Since the Knitting Guild was formed over thirty years ago they have raised more than $100,000 for medical equipment for Northern Health.
Salvation Army Whittlesea Craft Group
Auxiliary
The Salvation Army Craft Group led by coordinator, Joan Matthews, are long term supporters of Northern Health and the Foundation.
The craft group come together to share in fellowship, connect with others and undertake craft projects to raise vital funds to support their local community, including special projects at Northern Hospital Epping.
The group has funded many projects at Northern Health over the years with their most recent projects including the purchase of Pepi-Pods, a safe sleep space for newborn babies, a children’s car to transport our youngest patients to theatre and medical equipment for our Women’s and Children’s wards.