Henley named AHRI Award finalist!
The Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) has named Henley Properties a national award finalist!
Each year, the Australian HR Institute commends excellence in HR practice across Australia through the highly regarded AHRI Awards, and Henley has been announced as a national finalist.
Vying for the top title in the AHRI Corporate Social Responsibility Award, it is the passion of our people that enabled this award nomination and we would love to see them recognised for their continued commitment to our philanthropic work.
Giving back is part of our DNA
When Henley was first founded, we didn’t have the means to make a huge difference but we knew we wanted to initiate a way to contribute to our community, fostering a culture of positive change and establishing an ethos where giving back would be embedded into our culture.
Choosing the charity
There is nothing more heartbreaking than hearing about sick children, and there’s nothing more uplifting than knowing at Henley, we have made a difference to the lives of sick children and their families for over 24 years. The Royal Children’s Hospital became an obvious choice for us to support, given so many of our team, trades and suppliers have benefited from the hospital’s hard work, or know someone who has.
From little things, big things grow
We originally forecast an aspirational goal of donating around $20,000 to the Good Friday Appeal, but the Henley executive team wanted to explore the possibility of donating something much bigger. We hoped that if we could source donated land, we could lean on our trade and supplier network to build and donate a complete house and land package – raising hundreds of thousands of dollars, not just tens of thousands. What we have achieved over the last 24 years is a real coming together of the building community, where our entire team, network of trades and suppliers willingly, and proudly, donate their time, skills, services and products to ensure the house is built to an exacting and lasting standard.
Counting the contributions
Our contribution to the Good Friday Appeal has seen us build and donate 38 homes, resulting in a total contribution of over $13.8 million to the Royal Children’s Hospital. It wouldn’t be possible without our network of loyal trades and suppliers – who year on year, donate time, resources and materials. Each year we welcome more partners on board because it is such a worthwhile and valuable cause.
Philanthropy fosters a positive workplace culture
A humbling by-product of our commitment to philanthropy has been the strengthening of our business though higher engagement amongst employees, who are not only encouraged to support our charities of choice through volunteering, but have persued their own fundraising efforts, which are in turn supported by the Founding Directors and broader organisation. Our employees are incredibly proud to work for a company that gives so much back to the community and we’re so proud of their energy and enthusiasm for enriching communities through charitable giving.
Taking the project globally
Given the success and industry support of the charity house auction, we have subsequently taken the concept across borders and overseas. Henley’s Queensland branch, Plantation Homes, recently sold their seventh charity home for Mater Little Miracles for a record-breaking $692,500 and a second home is currently under construction in Seattle, Washington USA built as a follow-up to their first charity home which sold for a staggering USD$900,000, donated in full to the Seattle Children’s Research Institute. The total value of philanthropic efforts to date sits at over AUD$25 million, through the donation of 68 homes.
A word from our Founding Director
At the very heart of the philanthropy program has always been the dedication of the Henley Founding Directors to supporting children. In fact, our Managing Director Peter Hayes famously coined the phrase “If we can change the life of one child, then it’s all worth it”. It’s a sentiment shared equally with the entire Henley Properties team and this accolade
Congratulations to our team on making it as a finalist in the AHRI awards – with the winner to be announced on 29 November!
Testimonials
“Henley and their Directors are the shining light in the building industry regarding philanthropy. Their willingness to give back so generously is nothing short of outstanding, and they actually expect nothing in return. The Directors ability to inspire others to assist makes our journey so enjoyable. Every year we look forward to joining with Henley in making a difference in the community. ” Michael McKern, McKern Steel Supplier (involved with Henley Charity Home Initiative since its inception 24 years ago)
“Henley is one of the Good Friday Appeal’s most generous supporters. We are overwhelmed by the generosity of Henley management, employees, trades and suppliers and truly grateful for their ongoing commitment to ensuring The Royal Children’s Hospital continues to provide world class care for our children. Lead by a very passionate management team, the entire Henley team embraces the good feeling from giving back to the community.” Jacqueline Fletcher, Fundraising Manager - The Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal
“Plantation Homes’ generosity and passion for Mater Little Miracles is evident every year when they rally their subcontractors and suppliers to build a ‘House for Life’—a stunning home for us to auction. All of the funds raised go to help seriously ill and premature babies at Mater. Seven homes have been built to date, with more than $2.5 million raised and without Plantation Homes’ support, this simply would not have happened. We are sincerely grateful for the company’s genuine support which goes towards caring for more than 10,000 of Queensland’s tiniest patients each year.” Lesley Ray, Executive Director Fundraising - Mater Foundation
