Woolworths donates to local Redfern community in NAIDOC Week

Woolworths will mark NAIDOC Week by donating to the local community near one of its newest stores in Redfern.

This Sunday 8 July Woolworths’ Redfern store will donate a portable generator worth $6,500 to the local Redfern and Waterloo Aboriginal communities. The donation will take place at the Redfern All-Blacks & Weave NAIDOC Day celebration.

Woolworths Diversity Manager, Estelle Olstein, said the generator would be a valuable asset to the local community: “Woolworths wanted to do something that would have a lasting benefit the people of Redfern and Waterloo.

“Up to now the Indigenous community groups have had to hire expensive and noisy generators to power barbecues and other equipment at local events. This donation will ensure future events can be easily staged allowing limited funds to stretch further.”

“Woolworths opened last year adjacent to Redfern Oval which has provided a real opportunity for Woolworths to strengthen relationships with local Indigenous leaders.

“Overall, Woolworths has taken significant steps to support Indigenous people into employment across our business.

“Over the last two years, Woolworths has partnered with government and non-government organisations to set up a number of pre-employment programs. This has led to more than 400 Indigenous people beginning work with Woolworths.”

From October, 200,000 of the limited edition bags will be available in all Woolworths stores around the country for 99c.

The bags will feature a detail from a unique piece of artwork commissioned by Woolworths, from Indigenous creative agency Glimbaa, to mark the introduction of the company’s reconciliation action plan in June 2011.