Community & Business
4 August, 2026
Heritage Bank and Order of St John award funding to Toowoomba Hospice
The Order of St. John, with funding from Heritage Bank, has been able to donate a significant amount to Toowoomba Hospice, allowing it to put on The Mary Wagner Kaleidoscope of Care Project fundraising luncheon.
“We’re a local charity and we’re proud of it,” Graham Barron OAM, chair of the Toowoomba Hospice said.
At Toowoomba Hospice last Thursday, the Hospice board, Heritage (People First) Bank executives and members of the Order of St. John came together at the Hospice’s Harristown facility to shake hands over a funding arrangement.
The funding will allow the Hospice to hopefully raise the rest of its funding through The Mary Wagner Kaleidoscope of Care Project, which will culminate in a Long Luncheon on the 11th of October.
“The great privilege is ours to be associated with your organisation,” Heritage CEO Steve Laidlaw said during the sit down between stakeholders, during which Graham Barron described how the hospice began in 2003 with an idea.
It was only with community support was it able to become a reality.
It is still a community maintained facility.
With volunteers attending to much of its day to day maintenance and much of its funding coming from community fundraising, it’s symbiotic as many in the community will spend their last moments in the Toowoomba Hospice.
“By the community, for the community,” Mr Barron said.
“That’s why we have our race days and our fundraising... the more people go through the place, spending the last moments here, the more that community builds up.
“People sort of say well granddad died at the hospice last year and they took good care of him, I’ll support it this year.”
The family, Graham will tell you, is as much part of the job as the patient needing hospice care.
“You always remember them, yeah,” he said.
“We try to be there for them”
The fundraising this year is to make improvements and repairs to the Hospice including expanding its outdoor barbecue area, parking space and enhanced safety requirements.
They’re hoping to raise $400,000 for these upgrades.
Peter Brodie, of the Order of St. John, was confident that the community would show up and fundraise that amount at the luncheon.
“We’re very fortunate that Toowoomba is such a generous community and $50,000 is a great donation to get from Heritage Bank,” he said.
“It gives us a lot of support and hope that we’re going to raise this $400,000”
The Mary Wagner Kaleidoscope of Care fundraising luncheon will be on the 11th of October at Gips Restaurant.
