By Tyler Wright
The Bush Babies Wildlife Shelter in Cockatoo has received more than $1000 from Cockatoo IGA as part of its rewards program.
Each time a shopper scans their IGA card, they receive points which can either be donated to a local charity group or accumulated to help fund their own goods.
At the end of the 2021-22 financial year, Cockatoo IGA gathered around $5000 for local organisations nominated by shoppers, including the wildlife shelter, as well as Cockatoo CFA, Cockatoo Primary School and Gembrook-Cockatoo Football Netball Club.
Leanne Terrington and partner Vincent Owen run the self-funded Bush Babies Wildlife Shelter in Cockatoo.
“I was very surprised with how much I got – I received just over $1000, which is amazing,” Leanne said.
“The reason we still keep working is to pay for this because you don’t get paid to do what we do.”
On three quarters of an acre, Bush Babies Wildlife Shelter houses predominately possums, wombats and birds.
But the costs of caring for these furry and feathered friends add up, with Leanne and Vince relying heavily on donations.
“To feed baby wombats, it can cost you – for a 5kg bag – about $130 for milk powder, and depending on how many wombats you get in, that might only last a few weeks,” Leanne said.
“[The IGA program is] really good because there’s no admin fees… you don’t have that with us because we’re just normal people living in a house with the animals, so everything goes to them.
“Food, bedding, infrastructure… every so often if I get enough saved up, I’ll go and buy a new [big] avery, because we take on a lot of birds as well.”
Cockatoo CFA received $2374, Cockatoo Primary School received $451 and the Gembrook-Cockatoo Football Netball Club received $202 as part of this year’s tally.
Cockatoo IGA manager Nathan Pascoe said this form of fundraising is somewhat “untapped” in the community.
“It’s quite pleasing to be able to do that on behalf of the community – the fact that we’re physically paying for it is not really the significant thing; it’s that customers are choosing to donate money and points available to them through these community groups,” Nathan said.
“We should be communicating more and highlighting more to these groups how they can utilise this program to get more out of it because we don’t really push it very hard and we’d probably like to do that more.”
