Most of us don’t spend much time thinking about our bank accounts. We tap our cards, pay our bills, and expect our money to sit safely where we left it. But what if the simple act of choosing where you bank could directly fund the sports clubs, charities, and social enterprises that make the inner west such a vibrant place to live?
At Community Bank Seddon, we operate on a very simple premise: banking can, and should, do good.
Whilst we are proud partners of Bendigo Bank, every single dollar we give back is generated right here by our local branch, Community Bank Seddon, and is powered entirely by our local customers.
Like many of the incredible social enterprises operating across our neighbourhoods, we are a profit-for-purpose organisation. We are the vehicle that facilitates community growth simply by doing what banks do every day.
To date, we have supported over 260 community organisations, sporting clubs, schools, kinders, festivals and local events, injecting over $5.4 million directly back into our local community. Whether it is funding a local footy team’s new uniforms, supporting a neighbourhood house or providing grants for essential local services, that money stays right here in the West.
But here is the most surprising part of that $5.4 million milestone, and the part that I genuinely want every local business and resident to hear: we have achieved all of this with just a 1.4% market share. Imagine that, just for a second. If we can generate over $5.4 million of local impact with less than 2% of the local banking business, imagine what we could do if we moved the dial.
Now imagine the scale of the impact we could have within our community if we reached 3%, 4%, or even 5% market share. By simply shifting a fraction more of our collective banking business to our local branch, we could easily double or triple the funding available to support grassroots projects, local clubs and vital community services every single year.
The potential to transform our local area is entirely in our own hands. We don’t need to wait for government grants or corporate philanthropists; we simply need to look at how we manage our own finances.
So, I have a proposition for the readers of The Westsider. If you are an individual who wants their money to work for their neighbourhood or a local organisation or social enterprise that currently has a bank account, and might one day need funding, we want to talk to you.
We invite you to come and see if we can match, or even beat your current banking offering. If we can, making the switch means you are actively funding your own community’s future without altering your bottom line.
Let’s talk about how we can fund your mission—and the mission of the broader west—by simply changing the way you bank.
Ashley Coles
Branch Manager
Community Bank Seddon
