At an annual Poolwerx convention in 1994, husband-and-wife Poolwerx franchisees had to urgently fly home for their daughter’s long-awaited kidney transplant. The Poolwerx convention delegates stepped up. They put their hands in their pockets to help the Dean family fly home to their daughter.

That spontaneous act of giving 30 years ago has developed into an inspiring legacy of support, the Poolwerx Welfare Fund. Today, the fund is still going strong, helping and supporting the Poolwerx network and the greater community.

Mike Geddes, franchise development manager at Poolwerx, has chaired the Poolwerx Welfare Fund for 15 years. He says the fund reflects the brand’s first foundational value: People First Always.

“The fund assists members of the Poolwerx family by providing financial and physical support, information and gifts,” says Mike.

Poolwerx fund support

“The Poolwerx family includes franchise partners, their families and their staff and their families, staff in the support centre and their families, and suppliers and their families.

“Empathy, discretion and confidentiality are crucial. We provide professional counselling, and temporary staff to cover if someone is recuperating after a hospital visit. We also send gift baskets with best wishes for a quick recovery from treatment or to help them have fun family time. It can be just a chance to smell the roses,” says Mike.

“A franchise partner’s retail manager tragically died of a brain tumour leaving a wife and three young kids. After consultation with the franchise partner and the bereaved family, we provided the opportunity for the family to enjoy a day out together so they could take a breather from their emotional distress.”

The fund has contributed to many good deeds over the years including payment for franchise partners’ travel to the funeral of a fellow franchisee, and the costs of a funeral wake for the family.

Managing the fund

The fund committee meets monthly with a full agenda and undergoes an annual external audit. Each state elects a franchise partner to sit on the committee, which then elects the chair. A representative from the Poolwerx Support Centre and a regional operations manager also sit on the committee.

The regional operations manager plays a key role in looking out for people needing support. Franchise partners can also contact the committee with recommendations, says Mike.

During the Covid lockdowns in Victoria and New South Wales, the fund provided meal boxes so families could enjoy time together in the kitchen cooking a healthy meal.

Donating in times of crisis

“In 2020 after the devastating Victorian bushfires, the Poolwerx Welfare Fund donated about $20,000 to the Salvos and St. Vincents.

“It was the first time we have donated outside of the Poolwerx family, and it was a unanimous decision by the committee. That was a really big step for us – it was quite special,” says Mike.

Then came the northern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland floods. Not only was the Poolwerx head office inundated, but there were also three franchised stores underwater.

“We helped those owners and staff whose homes were underwater by paying for services to clear out their goods and relocate. We also paid for accommodation for the first few nights,” says Mike.

The Poolwerx Welfare Fund also supports individuals dealing with mental health challenges.

“We also co-fund with the Poolwerx Corporation an Employee Assistance Program operated through Drake and this is available for franchise partners at any time,” Mike adds.

Fundraising at the convention

The annual Poolwerx convention was the starting point for the Poolwerx Welfare Fund and it remains at the heart of the charity.

“We fundraise at every convention in August,” says Mike. “There is a Poolwerx Welfare Fund night that’s a highlight of the event. We have a fancy-dress night with a theme and each state creates their own theme-within-a-theme. It brings everyone to the same level, everyone participates.”

This year the convention at Movie World has a ‘Hooray for Hollywood’ theme.

“This is a night about coming together, making long-lasting connections, creating joy and friendship,” says Mike.

Convention, raffle and annual contributions

It is also, of course, about topping up the fund’s coffers so it can respond to the needs of its franchise partners, staff, suppliers and extended families.

“We typically raise about $30,000. We run a monster raffle where suppliers, staff, and franchise partners all donate prizes. We’ve got holiday vouchers, Grange wine, signed sports memorabilia, and gift cards to win on the night.”

And the fun doesn’t stop there! One lucky franchise partner will win a fully fitted, sign-written Poolwerx van in a silent auction.

Another fundraising initiative is an annual contribution of $180 which about 60 per cent of the franchise partner network and the Poolwerx support team pay on a voluntary basis.

In-house charity supports Poolwerx family in times of need

The committee distributes the fund’s monies according to need, so there’s no average annual spend.

“We’ve got a large fund in the bank account. Some years we might spend $30,000, other years it might be more,” says Mike.

“We have a lot of individual stories that show we are walking the talk of our values. The Jenkins family who helped the Dean family all those years ago are still involved today and are veterans of the franchise network.

“When I introduce people to the brand, I’m proud to share that this is what we do – we have our own in-house charity to support our Poolwerx family in moments of need.”