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Community Support
Anaconda is proud to support a range of community initiatives at a local and national level across Australia. Find out more about the range of projects, awareness programs and charitable initiatives supported by Anaconda and our partners.
Anaconda Community Support Initiatives
Livin
Anaconda and LIVIN have proudly joined forces to help Aussie kids swap the inbox for the outdoors!
LIVIN is an Australian mental health charity that exists to break the stigma around mental illness and promote early intervention, particularly among young people. Its vision is to 'create a future where suicide is no longer the number one killer of young Australians today', and its mantra is that 'It Ain't Weak to Speak'.
Currently, 1 in 4 young Australians aged 16-24 experience a mental health condition each year (ABS 2022). Suicide remains the leading cause of death among young Australians aged 15-24 (AIHW 2023). Young people suffer in silence due to stigma, shame or lack of access to mental health education. At the same time, outdoor activity participation among Australian children has dropped from 75% in 2006 to just 45% in 2022.
LIVIN's mission is to equip young Australians with essential prevention and early intervention education, bolstering their mental health literacy and resilience. Their evidence-based LIVINWell In School program is a 45-minute workshop delivered by carefully selected, experienced, and highly relatable facilitators with a blend of lived experience and mental health training.
The mental health benefits of getting outdoors and back into nature are well documented. We recognise we can play a major role in driving a cultural movement by championing the importance of getting out into nature for the sake of both mental and physical health.
By partnering with LIVIN, we are helping to:
- Raise awareness of the link between outdoor activity and mental well-being
- Fund the expansion of LIVINWell In School program across Australia
- Inspire all Australians to 'play more' for their health and happiness.
Quite simply, we want to help Aussie kids swap the inbox for the outdoors, streaming for streams, Wi-Fi for wildlife, and TikTok for treetops.
Our fundraising initiatives include:
- Always-On POS Contributions, whereby customers can contribute a cash amount at POS 365 days of the year
- Our annual Anaconda Tools Down team member fundraising event
- Community Events, where along with representatives from LIVIN, we host outdoor community events to encourage the local community to get outdoors and connect with each other and nature.
All contributions collected through our fundraising initiatives will be directed into resourcing the LIVINWell In School program delivered by LIVIN across Australia, with every $100 raised helping 5 students take part in the program.
In addition, all Anaconda team members have the opportunity to complete LIVINWell training and can use paid volunteer days to support school visits and facilitate Community fundraising events.
A portion of the proceeds from every LIVIN merchandise purchase at Anaconda goes towards supporting LIVIN and its mission to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young Australians.
For more information, visit LIVIN.
Anaconda is proud to be in partnership with leading Australian snow brand, XTM Performance, and St Vincent de Paul Society for the ongoing winter Heat the Homeless appeal.
An estimated 122,000+ people across Australia are classified as homeless or marginally housed on any given night in Australia, with 55.9% being male, 44.1% being female and 23% being aged 12-24 years old (Source: AUS Census). XTM started Heat the Homeless back in 2016, working with over 133 retailers who host donation boxes. Since then, XTM has received over 32,000 jacket donations. This equates to 27.2 tonnes of clothing being diverted from landfill.
A partner since 2017, Anaconda stores across the nation have acted as the collection points for pre-loved snow jackets, puffers and fleece jumpers. Working with not-for-profit platform GIVIT and St Vincent de Paul Society, these donations are distributed via a network of more than 4,900 charity partners. Those without a pre-loved item of clothing but still wishing to donate can purchase a new snow jacket or puffer jacket from Anaconda to be added directly to the collection.
The Heat the Homeless appeal urges community members to donate their quality, pre-loved jackets to warm those in need. A golden rule: If you'd give it to a friend or family member, then it's good enough to donate. To donate, just drop your pre-loved jacket into the donation box at an Anaconda store. Your donated jackets will be counted, collected and stored for pick-up by a local charity, which will distribute them. Our partner charities directly hand out jacket donations to all people experiencing homelessness, sleeping rough and needing warmth.
XTM Performance founder Pete Forras says: "There are so many high-quality jackets that are purchased for a single ski season before being discarded after only a couple of weeks of wear. Rather than sending these jackets straight to landfill, we saw an opportunity to make a difference to the lives of the thousands of Australians sleeping rough throughout winter and we are so grateful to Anaconda for joining us on our mission to Heat the Homeless,"
Anaconda's CEO, Chris Lude, says: "Anaconda is incredibly proud to back the Heat the Homeless initiative in partnership with XTM, which collects warm clothing to help the less fortunate in our community during the colder months," he said.
"As Australia's leading outdoor retailer, we're dedicated to helping millions of Aussie adventurers create lasting winter memories every year. But for those doing it tough on our streets there is nowhere to escape the harshness of winter and with the current challenging economic climate, this is an incredibly difficult time for many.
We're proud to play our part in helping our Anaconda community members in bringing a little bit of warmth to those that need it most."
Have a snow jacket or puffer you'd like to donate? Have the kids grown out of last year's ski gear? Find your local Anaconda store here.
Wildlife Warriors: Backyard Campout
Anaconda is delighted to be in partnership with Wildlife Warriors - helping to defend our most threatened wildlife species and natural habitats.
Wildlife Warriors was established in 2002 by Steve and Terri Irwin as a way to include and involve other caring people in the protection of injured, threatened or endangered wildlife - from the individual animal to an entire species.
Steve had a vision for conservation, where people and wildlife could live harmoniously alongside one another. Each and every one of Wildlife Warriors' conservation projects supports this vision.
The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital is the largest of Wildlife Warriors' conservation projects, which has now treated over 110,000 native Australian animals since 2004, including its most specialised and iconic patients, koalas, now classified as endangered.
Wildlife Warriors also fight to protect wildlife and wild places all around the world, including tigers in Sumatra, rhinos in Kenya, elephants in Cambodia, cheetahs in South Africa and many more for generations to come.
Each year, Anaconda supports the program through the Steve Irwin Gala evening, as well as providing products for fundraising initiatives and assisting with conservation programs at Australia Zoo.
For more information, visit wildlifewarriors.org.
Anaconda & Surf Life Saving Queensland Partnership To Keep QLD Beaches Safe
Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) and Anaconda are proud to announce our new partnership! Starting this season, you will see Anaconda's brand proudly displayed on the sleeve of SLSQ's red and yellow patrol shirts as we work together to keep Queensland's beaches safe. The newly formed partnership brings the two Australian brands together for a three-year collaboration, aiming to enhance beach safety and save lives along Queensland's coastline, ensuring safer environments for beachgoers over the next few years.
We will also have an exclusive product range releasing in all our stores across the country in November with 10% of the purchase price being donated to support Surf Life Saving across Australia. Products in this exclusive beach range will include beach trolleys, towels, beach shelters, hats and beach chairs.
Anaconda CEO, Chris Lude, stated that the partnership perfectly aligns with Anaconda's mission to inspire, equip and enable Australians to enjoy the outdoors with Surf Life Saving Queensland's goal of achieving zero preventable deaths in Queensland's public waters."Anaconda is proud to partner with such an iconic Australian organisation, united by our shared commitment to ensuring that Australians can safely enjoy the outdoors for generations to come," said Mr Lude."Through this partnership, we are excited to offer our customers a unique way to support their local Surf Lifesaving club while preparing for summer with an exclusive range of official SLS-branded water and beach products".
The CEO of Surf Life Saving Queensland, Dave Whimpey, said that the partnership will help to build important connections to local communities around the State."Surf Life Saving Queensland is pleased to have Anaconda's support in keeping Queensland Beaches safe," said Mr Whimpey. "This new partnership with Anaconda will help us build strong connections with our community, by providing tangible products to help all Queenslanders feel like they are involved in our organisation. SLSQ are also thankful for Anaconda's contribution towards our Queensland patrol shirts, which remain an important part of surf lifesaving. We look forward to working with the Anaconda team in the years ahead."
Together, we're committed to protecting our community and ensuring everyone enjoys our beautiful beaches safely. Help us raise awareness for this important issue that affects so many Australians each year. Find your local Anaconda store and help keep QLD beaches safe this season.
