Our Four Pillars of the Community
Here at Four Pillars Gin we know that, as well as being fairly young and pretty small (we’ve grown fast, but remain a tiny part of the global gin market), we’re also very, very, VERY lucky.
We’re lucky as a business, and have benefited from the support of the most extraordinary communities… from our local Yarra Valley friends to gin lovers across Australia and around the world.
And we’re lucky as individuals, particularly us three founders who, supported by the world’s greatest group of staff and a bunch of friends who’ve believed and invested in us, have been allowed to pursue a dream that has proved to be enormous fun along the way.
So we’ve established something we’re calling the Four Pillars of the Community, and it’s about supporting key cause areas that mean a lot to us. Some of these areas matter to all of us as a business, and others are much more meaningful to one of us. And no we’re not so self-indulgent to tell you why. Instead we’ll just tell you what they are: Local & Community; Alcohol & Education; Women & Mothers; Children & Opportunities and Sustainability.
Each year we look for a variety of ways to support these cause areas. In fact we’re already doing it… over the past twelve months, we have provided prizes for countless fundraising raffles and auctions. But we always want and need, to do more.
So on the first weekend of December every year we celebrate our birthday with an annual community weekend. And we give all the proceeds of the weekend’s activities to four or five organisations working to make a difference in these cause areas.
Sometimes we’ll name them. Sometimes we’ll make the donations anonymously because we’re conscious that while our money can have just as much impact as any others, perhaps that organisation isn’t so comfortable taking money from a booze business.
This year we’re supporting a number of charities and organisations, including:
- Yarra Valley ECOSS – a Community Environment Hub on Wurundjeri Country in Wesburn. This Permaculture Designed property hosts a weekly Market, Festivals and Events, Indigenous Arts Projects, Volunteers in our Community Gardens, Education Programs, and lots of exciting co-locating Small businesses and Not for Profits.
- St Vincent’s Open Support Sydney – Open Support looks after vulnerable members of the community through three core programs: a domestic and family violence program, a social isolation program and a transport service for rural patients needing to access healthcare in the Sydney metro area.
- Ovarian Cancer Australia – an independent national not-for-profit organisation, supporting women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
In 2021, we had to switch things up a bit (thanks to good ole’ covid) and in place of normal trading, we instead donated $25 from each bottle of Australian Christmas Gin sold on our website and in our homes.
Our 2021 recipients were:
Our 2020 Four Pillars of the Community was the first time we introduced the initiative across our two ‘homes’ in Healesville and Sydney.
Our 2020 recipient organisations were:
Our 2019 Four Pillars of the Community weekend focused on organisations dealing with the drought and bushfire crises so many communities are battling.
Our recipient organisations in 2019 were:
- CFA Healesville
- Rural Aid Australia
- Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal
- And one anonymous recipient
In 2018, we were able to donate $6000 to each of our recipient organisations:
- CFA
- The Babes Project
- The Big Roast for Cystic Fibrosis
- The final beneficiary, in the area of alcohol and education, remains anonymous.
In 2017, we were able to donate $4000 to each of the four organisations below.
- Country Fire Authority – without them some of us wouldn’t be here.
- The Babes Project – a local organisation providing perinatal services to women in need of a little extra support.
- Healesville’s Goodlife Farm – a landmark program helping vulnerable young people by connecting them with animals and nature.
- The final beneficiary, in the area of alcohol and education, remains anonymous.
In 2017, we also auctioned off the stunning Christmas beetles that were installed in our distillery for the Christmas period made by local talent Clare James to add to the weekend contributions.
In 2016 we were able to donate $3000 to each of the four organisations below.
- Country Fire Authority
- Australian Cancer Research Foundation – because our three stills are named for our mums, so we wanted to support the fight against those cancers that disproportionately target women.
- The Smith Family – because while we have enjoyed so many opportunities, we’re conscious there are so many families who haven’t been anywhere near as lucky as us.
- The final beneficiary, in the area of alcohol and education, remains anonymous.