January 2020 Directors' Column

Bernie Lloyd - January 2020

As we start the new year and a new decade, we are faced with unprecedented bushfire conditions across Australia.

It is hard to truly comprehend the grief and devastation experienced over the last few months, the lives lost, property destroyed, and wildlife affected.

We have also seen the dedication, heroism and the spirit of Australians coming together to protect our communities, especially our fire fighters, health care and emergency service workers who are working tirelessly every day to care for others.

Our heritage is built upon this resilience and care, and as we have always done in times of disaster, Bank First is ready to provide care and support for our customers and communities through these very difficult times, as we understand the financial impact that this could have on our own people.

A bushfire assistance package offering financial support for those suffering hardship is now available and we urge affected customers to contact us to discuss their needs. The assistance includes interest-free loans of up to $5000 and deferral of loan and credit card repayments. More information can be found here.

We are also saddened for the schools and preschools that have been affected by the bushfires.

As a bank that was founded to support teachers and the wider education community, we are offering our support through the Bank First Community Fund, which will provide donations of up to $10,000 to help Victorian schools and preschools rebuild.

In addition to this, the Bank First Community Fund together with the staff are supporting the Australian Red Cross to raise funds to provide assistance now and in the future to help rebuild the lives and homes of our fellow Australians.

We encourage any Bank First customer affected by the bushfires to get in touch with us as soon as possible to discuss how we can support you.

We believe in the people who care and now more than ever are committed to supporting all our communities impacted across Australia.

Bernie Lloyd
Chair of Board