We've found a new home!
We're moving!
Following an incredible tenure in Bundoora, we’re excited for the future in our new HQ – we’re moving just 8 mins away! We’re so happy to be staying in the neighbourhood. Watch this space for further updates!
Closure period
We will need to close for a short time from 10 July whilst Bundoora HQ becomes NEW HQ. Airport West remains unchanged and will continue to operate.
What does this mean for goods donations?
From Monday 10 July, we will temporarily suspend all donation drop-offs to the Bundoora warehouse for a few weeks. We encourage donors to hold onto their items during this time, or take them to one of our many public drop off points. Our Airport West hub remains operational.
What if I have a booking during the closure period for a drop-off?
If you’re booked in, you can still drop off, however no new bookings or donations can be accepted during this time.
What happens with requests for aid during the closure period?
We will also temporarily close for requests. The closure period will last for approximately two-three weeks, during which we will focus on the relocation process. This will enable us to manage the relocation smoothly and ensure that no essential items are left behind. It also allows is to put thing in motion to ensure that when we do reopen we are ready to help children and families in need to the best of our ability. We are working closely with the network of support workers who request items from us for their families. Our goal is to return to normal operations as soon as possible and we will work hard to make this a reality.
Shout Outs!
A special and heartfelt thank you to the following for helping us with the move:
Fab Industries
We a new home!
We’re bursting at the seams and need a new home. We are in a unique situation where demand for our service continues to grow and the existing warehouse is no longer sufficient to continue our mission.
The need for change is timely following five happy years at our Bundoora HQ, our landlord is reclaiming the space for commercial purposes so we must vacate by September.
We need your help to find a new home!
Message from the CEO
“We are calling on our wonderful community of supporters to please help spread the word in the hope we can find a new home.
As we continue to grow our service to reach more children in hardship, we need a larger warehouse.
We have been looking for a new location, but as commercial properties are in high demand we cannot compete with the market.
If you or anyone you know has warehousing or similar large space available, or you’re looking for an amazing charity to cohabitate with, I would love to hear from you.”
– Bernadene Voss, CEO
A big new home!
Our warehouse is our HQ where the magic happens.
Our new headquarters will need to be approximately 800 – 1000sqm, including suitable office space (double our current space), preferably in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. It could be a warehouse, but we don’t need high ceilings so alternative spaces with similar footprint are also of interest. We’ll need heating and cooling, not just in the office area, but across the warehouse.
Our wonderful community will be able to donate new and pre-loved items here. It’s where those items are checked, sorted, cleaned and packed. And it’s where caseworkers come to collect those packs or they are dispatched to our outreach hub in Airport West, to pass onto families facing hardship.
It’s the heart and soul of Big Group Hug.
Much of our incredibly committed volunteer base has been with us since the beginning and they are based in the nothern suburbs of Melbourne.
The Bundoora warehouse is where friendships and memories were made, where bonds were formed, and enormous amounts of love and care put into the thousands of essential material aid packages.
Our volunteers are the backbone of Big Group Hug. We couldn’t do what we do without them. By staying close we can recreate the magic and stay true to our origins.
Big Group Hug is an organisation serving local communities to tackle child poverty. We help vulnerable children who are living in crisis by distributing essential items in times of need.
We’re committed to supporting every young family who asks for help while ensuring that the child remains the focus of everything we do.
Our Vision
For people to work together to protect every young person in Australia from the adverse effects of disadvantage.
Our Mission
To mobilise community support to respond to the immediate needs of young people, particularly vulnerable children and their families.
Commercial warehouse space is highly competitive and with the current increased cost in living, properties are not readily available at discounted rates for charities.
Melbourne average rents have grown by 6.4%. The north precinct contributed to most of the growth with rents increasing by 15-20% year on year. Rent growth has been driven by a lack of available space, with Melbourne’s industrial vacancy rate remaining at a record low of 1.1%.*
Australia’s industrial vacancy rate is at a record low of 0.6%, the CBRE reporting that the “Australian market is shaped by pent-up demand” which has led to a “chronic undersupply of industrial space”.*
We’re searching for a warehouse that is 800 – 1000sqm. In the current landscape, that translates to around $150,000 per year in rent. Given the greater rent rises forecasted over the next couple of years, it’s fair to say we’ll need all the help we can get.
*source: cbre.com.au
How you can help!
Spread the news! Share this webpage with everyone you know, with family, at work, and in your social groups.
Can't help with a warehouse but want to do something?
In the news
Frequently Asked Questions
If we can’t find our dream location, do not fear, Big Group Hug will continue. We have operated for 9 years, including through a pandemic, and we will not let this stop us. We’ll do what it takes to ensure we continue providing essential aid to the families that depend on us. If we have to raise funds to pay commercial rates, we will. If we have to lower our sights and move into a location of a similar size to what we’re in now, we will (although that will mean we are limiting our growth in the short-term). We will not let our community down. We will continue to operate. We will make it work.
Airport West will remain as is, there will be no change at this stage. However if we need to extend operating hours from Airport West to ensure we continue to provide the support that our community needs, we will certainly look into that.
Absolutely you can! We’re looking for organisations and businesses to partner with. There are many ways you can be involved, from sponsoring a section of the new warehouse to co-habitating. Contact Bernadene to discuss all of the options.
For all media enquires please contact:
Emina – 0406 616 985 or email emina@biggrouphug.org
Maria – 0420 510 192 or email maria@biggrouphug.org
