£7,600 raised for Australian bushfire recovery

Updated: 28 Jan 2025

The Australian bushfires of 2019/20 left no less than 33 dead and destroyed more than 11 million hectares of bush, forest and parkland. This month, as the result of a Society-wide appeal, £7,600 has been sent to help those directly affected by the crisis.

Oddfellows CEO Jane Nelson explained the background to the appeal and how the money was raised. She said: “I had been following the crisis on the news and was horrified by the monumental scale of the fires, and the devastation it was bringing to people’s lives, notwithstanding the environment.

“We've members of our Society from the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows in New South Wales, and we knew that their communities were being directly affected. We couldn't sit by without doing something to help, so we launched a Society-wide fundraising appeal.

“On behalf of the Society and all our members and Branches who donated over the past few months, we have raised an incredible £7,600.

"We hope that it can help those families and communities who are still struggling to rebuild the parts of their lives that can be, or at least that it can provide some comfort.

“Thank you to everyone who stepped forward to help a neighbour in a time of grave need, despite them living thousands of miles away,” added Jane.

Thank you to everyone who stepped forward to help a neighbour in a time of grave need, despite them living thousands of miles away. Jane Nelson, Oddfellows CEO

Our donation to Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows in New South Wales has been forwarded to Rotary International, who work with grassroot charities and community projects in some of Australia’s worst hit territories.

We have been assured that every penny donated through the Oddfellows’ Australian Fires Appeal will go to help those affected, with no administration fees applied.

Funding life-changing medical research, supporting the RNLI and raising money for many local good causes are just some of the ways in which the Oddfellows tries to make a real difference to people's lives.

Read more about how the Society gives back to its communities.