Read about Borders Commitment to: Literacy | Environment | Health
An initiative of Borders and The Smith Family
Borders has teamed up with The Smith Family to create the Little Learners' Literacy Fund. The Fund will support disadvantaged Aussie kids' education and learning - one of the most effective ways of unlocking opportunities for these children later in life.
Borders has kick-started the fund with $50,000 which will go towards 150 primary student sponsorships, yet we need your help as there are thousands of children waiting for support!
Why Support Aussie Kids?
In Australia today, one in seven Australian children lives in a household where no parent is employed. Because of their family's financial situation, many disadvantaged children start school without the basics they need to fit in and belong.
When a child doesn't have the basics such as a school bag, the right gear or a complete uniform, they're often made to feel shunned, isolated or excluded and potentially face social isolation all their life. Without support today, these disadvantaged kids are at risk of growing up to become disadvantaged adults.
> Watch Brooke Hanson talk about the Little Learners Literacy Fund
The Indigenous Literacy Project (ILP) aims to improve the lives and opportunities of remote Indigenous Australians by raising literacy levels. The Project is a partnership between the Australian Book Industry and The Fred Hollows Foundation.
On 3rd September 2008, events will be held around Australia to raise awareness of the Indigenous literacy crisis. Borders will be getting involved by donating 5% of our book purchases to the Fred Hallows Foundation who will buy books and literacy resources for remote Indigenous communities in Northern Territory, North West NSW, QLD & WA.
For more information or to make a donation visit www.worldwithoutbooks.org
Coastcare is community volunteers working tirelessly to clean up Australia's coastline, tackling problems like dune erosion, loss of native plants, animals injured by plastic and other debris, storm water pollution, weeds and control of human access to sensitive areas.
Coastcare and Borders are working together to reduce unnecessary consumption of single use shopping bags. Australians use around 7 billion plastic bags every year, many of which find their way to our waterways. In order to effectively limit unnecessary consumption of single use shopping bags, Borders now charge 10c for each plastic bag required when customers purchase goods in store:
- Borders aim in charging 10 cents for single use plastic bags is to reduce plastic bag usage and their negative environmental impact. So far, thanks to our customers, plastic bag usage has been reduced by over 70% since this initiative began in early February 2008.
- From January 2009, government legislation will require all Victorian retailers to charge a minimum of $0.10 for each plastic bag, with other State, Territory and Commonwealth Environment Ministers making a similar commitment to introduce measures to phase out single use plastic bags by the end of 2008. We're moving faster than the legislation requires because we believe it's the right thing to do.
- Borders make no profit from the 10 cent plastic bag levy introduced. All contributions go directly to Coastcare to assist in maintaining Australia's fragile coastline and marine environment. For more information, visit Coastcare.
MS Australia strives for a world free from multiple sclerosis through quality research and providing services and support for people living with multiple sclerosis.
Throughout the Christmas period, MS volunteers can be seen in all of Borders stores gift-wrapping our products in return for a gold coin donation. This campaign has been very successful to date, raising 10s of thousands of dollars for the MS Society.
