Since Blooms The Chemist rolled out in-store blister pack collection boxes across its entire pharmacy network in November 2022, over 15,000 kgs of aluminium and plastic have been recovered from recycled blister packs.

Blooms The Chemist was the first national pharmacy company in Australia to launch this initiative across its network of more than 115 stores with the support of sponsors, Gaviscon, Nurofen and Strepsils.

Blooms The Chemist Erina (NSW) has been a stand-out contributor across the country, recycling 624.21kgs of medicine packaging, closely followed by Blooms The Chemist Stud Park (VIC).

Blooms The Chemist Forestville (NSW), Blooms The Chemist Springwood (NSW) and Blooms The Chemist Castle Plaza (SA) were also amongst the top five network pharmacies that recovered a significant amount of recycled material.

Blooms The Chemist’s Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer Pamela Bishop said: “Thanks to our collaboration with Pharmacycle and the passion of our network pharmacies, we have been able to reach this remarkable milestone, and reduce our environmental impact while helping our customers do the same.

“We are incredibly proud as a network of community-minded pharmacies to be a leader in the industry in tackling environmental issues such as recycling medicine packaging.”

Pharmacycle’s Account Manager for Blooms The Chemist, Ursi Kernan, said: “With plastic packaging comprising a shocking 81.1 percent of Australia’s litter, it is more critical than ever for companies and Australians to step up and change our habits to create a better future.

“This joint initiative with Blooms The Chemist is important to help achieve better outcomes for the planet by delivering end-to-end recycling solutions to our community.

“By teaming up with Pharmacycle, the local community can conveniently recycle their blister packs by dropping by their local Blooms The Chemist.” 

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The 2024 Partner’s Conference took place in Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan, which marked the network’s return to international conferences, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and strategic learning across borders.

Global retail practices were explored in iconic Japanese locations, including Kyoto’s historic sites, Tokyo’s retail hubs, and the famous Ginza district to deepen the team’s understanding of cultural impacts on retail success.

Professor John Strong, renowned American retail expert and Harvard alumni, spoke at the conference, sharing his experience of over 25 years in the financial analysis of the global retailing industry.

Blooms The Chemist CEO, Emmanuel Vavoulas, said: “The return of international conferences for our network, starting with this year’s Partner’s Conference, provides a unique opportunity to expand our knowledge and cultural understanding of global retail practices. This ensures that Blooms The Chemist continues to deliver the highest quality of care to our community.

“The annual Blooms The Chemist Partner’s Conference Awards is also a great way to recognise the outstanding efforts and achievements of our dedicated network pharmacies and Pharmacists for the past year.”

Blooms The Chemist Baldivis (WA) was crowned as the prestigious Store of the Year, displaying outstanding customer service, community engagement, and team member retention in the last 12 months.

Runner Up Store of the Year Award was handed to Blooms The Chemist Tweed City Central (NSW). Luke Owens from Blooms The Chemist Erina (NSW) was awarded Pharmacist of the Year and Claire Robertson from Blooms The Chemist Wagga Wagga (NSW) took home the Values and Culture Award.

Additional winners included:

• Retail Excellence Store of the Year: Blooms The Chemist Bullcreek (WA)
• New Store of the Year – 24 months: Blooms The Chemist Ballarat North (VIC)
• Sustainability Store of the Year: Blooms The Chemist Erina (NSW)
• Purpose Store of the Year: Blooms The Chemist Casey Central (VIC)
• Dispensary Award: Blooms The Chemist Belmont Central (NSW)
• Productivity Award: Blooms The Chemist  Bakewell (NT)
• Customer Service Award: Blooms The Chemist Saratoga (NSW)
• Supplier of the Year: Reckitt

Blooms The Chemist is pleased to acknowledge the continuous support from its supplier partners in delivering an exceptional conference, including platinum sponsors:

• AFT Pharmaceuticals
• Aspen Pharmaceuticals
• Care Pharmaceuticals
• Chemfit
• Haleon
• Herbs of Gold
• MPS Connect
• PharmaCare
• Reckitt
• ResMed
• Sandoz
• Symbion
• Technology360
• VidaCorp

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The Charity Golf Day brought together more than 125 sponsors, ambassadors and Make-A-Wish representatives on Friday August 30, raising over $60,000 on the day for critically ill children.

“As a network of Pharmacists who are passionate about giving back to the community, we deeply value our longstanding partnership with Make-Wish Australia and the positive impact that we contribute to helping grant the wishes of sick children,” said Blooms The Chemist CEO Emmanuel Vavoulas.

“The Charity Golf Day is amongst many fundraising activities, including bake sales, sausage sizzles and raffles, held by the Blooms The Chemist Support Office and network of more than a hundred community pharmacies to help raise funds for this important cause.

“We look forward to the Charity Golf Day every year. The event is a fantastic way to support such a special cause in our hearts, while also getting outside onto the course with our fellow sponsors, partners and Make-A-Wish ambassadors,” continued Vavoulas.

Make-A-Wish Australia emphasised how the Charity Golf Day is just one example of Blooms The Chemist’s ongoing dedication towards the cause.

Make-A-Wish Australia CEO Sally Bateman added: “As an organisation that relies entirely on the support of the community, we are incredibly grateful for the ongoing generosity of the Blooms The Chemist network and their belief in the power of a wish.

“With over 900 kids currently on their wish journey, vital funds raised during the Golf Day will go towards making more wishes possible, bringing hope and joy to sick kids and their families around the country.”

Make-A-Wish Ambassador and former Wish Kid, Michael Ponticello was a guest speaker at the Golf Day. Michael highlighted the significance that Make-A-Wish Australia had in his own journey when his wish, to meet tennis icon Roger Federer, came true in 2016.

Michael shared: “The Golf Day was absolutely brilliant, from the organisation of the event to the generosity of guests. It was a thrill for me to talk about my wish again. Make-A-Wish is a foundation that means so much to my family and I.”

Now working as a 2GB producer and freelance sports commentator, he is proud to be able to return the favour to Make-A-Wish Australia and help other sick children on their Wish Journey.

Recently, the Blooms The Chemist network and wider community also celebrated hitting a major donation milestone of over $2 million to Make-A-Wish Australia, to help make a meaningful difference in the lives of sick children across Australia.

Blooms The Chemist Charity Golf Day 2024 was made possible with the help of major sponsors, Symbion and Vidacorp and 542 other partners, including the following corporate sponsors:

• Aretex

• Arrotex

• Apex Signage

• Bellrock Advisory

• Eventuate

• Haleon

• INova Pharmaceuticals

• Kaimera

• Liberty Specialty Markets

• Pharmacare

• Reckitts

• Ryder Shop and Office Fittings

• SimpsonFreed

• Stirling Fildes

• Swisse

• TFCO

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Brands were rated by Aussies across a range of metrics like customer service, product range, value for money, trustworthiness and product quality. These metrics were then weighted to determine the winning brands in four areas per vertical: most loved, most trusted, top value and legendary customer service.

Pharmacy 4 Less in the pharmacy category had a clean sweep across the four awards with high scores for every metric.

• Pharmacy 4 Less won all four customer satisfaction awards: most loved, most trusted, top value and legendary service.
• Terrywhite Chemmart was highly commended in all four categories and Blooms the Chemist was highly commended in three and Chemist Warehouse in one.
• Pharmacy 4 Less had the highest – or equal highest – ratings for the following metrics: customer service (4.3/5), value for money (4.3) and trustworthiness (97 per cent).
• Chemist Warehouse had the top rating for product range (4.3).
• Terrywhite Chemmart and Blooms the Chemist had the best rating for product quality (4.3).
• Six pharmacy brands qualified by meeting the minimum number of brand responses: Pharmacy 4 Less, TerryWhite Chemmart, Blooms The Chemist, Priceline Pharmacy, Amcal and Chemist Warehouse.

While it didn’t win in the pharmacy category, Chemist Warehouse was the most loved, most trusted and top value in the makeup retailer category, with AdoreBeauty winning the customer service award.

Finder’s retail specialist Chris Jager said choosing where to shop can be really dependent on consumer needs.

“In this year’s Customer Satisfaction Awards program we saw a few select retailers dominate their verticals but an exception was often the most trusted brand.

“Currently a lot of Aussies are tightening their purse strings and they really are seeking value – whether that’s through price matching, loyalty programs or just good quality products at affordable prices and I really want to commend the companies that are meeting their customers’ needs at this time.” Mr Jager said.

You can find the full results here: https://www.findershopping.com.au/finder-awards/customer-satisfaction-awards

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Blooms the chemist has been raising money for Make-A-Wish Australia at its support office and member network.

“It really comes down to the kindness and generosity of the individual Blooms The Chemist communities, network pharmacies, and supplier partners to help us reach this milestone,” said Blooms The Chemist CEO Emmanuel Vavoulas.

“The work Make-A-Wish Australia does for critically ill children and their families is life-changing, and as a network of community pharmacies, we are so proud to support families across Australia in any way we can.”

“Raising over $2 million is an extraordinary achievement and demonstrates the incredible effort and passion of the Blooms The Chemist team, customers, and pharmacy network,” said Make-A-Wish Australia CEO, Sally Bateman.

“As an organisation that receives no government funding, partners like Blooms The Chemist are crucial in helping us grant wishes for the critically ill children in our program. Thanks to the ongoing support from Blooms The Chemist and the broader Australian community, we can bring more wishes to life for the 900 children currently on their Wish Journey, making a genuine difference in their lives.”

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What have been some of your career and store highlights so far? Please elaborate on the valuable lessons learned from them.
Winning the 2018 Blooms The Chemist Customer Service Award was certainly a highlight. We pride ourselves on customer service and to be recognised for this at our Blooms The Chemist Sturt Mall store was huge.

Another highlight was the overwhelming support and comments from customers when I had my son. Their gifts and kind words were so heart-warming, and I really felt connected to my local community.

Buying my own pharmacy and becoming a business owner has also been a milestone of my career. Being able to give back to the community while also contributing to my family has been wonderful, and I’ve loved being part of the wider Blooms The Chemist community during this journey.

 What has been the impact of technology on pharmacy over recent years?
 Technology has helped pharmacy evolve, improving workflow and allowing pharmacists to get out of the dispensary and help our customers and patients even more through a wider range of health services. It’s made access to medications a lot easier for people, especially during COVID-19, with apps like MedAdvisor allowing customers to access medications and reducing the chance of spreading the virus. My Script List has also made it so much easier to access patient history, and robots are useful in allowing the pharmacy team to be more available to customers.

How has the pharmacy industry and its approach to health services evolved over years?
 The role of the pharmacist has evolved from dispensing prescriptions and counselling on medications to now offering services to identify, prevent and treat a range of different health conditions. The scope at which pharmacists are able to practise has taken pressure off Australia’s healthcare system by freeing up GP time.

The ease of access to a pharmacy, often with no appointment required, also means customers can access health services at the time that suits them. I believe this has allowed people to be more proactive with their health and has led to better health outcomes for many Australians.

Tell us about the ethos of your pharmacy and how it differs from other pharmacies in your view.
 We have a number of team members who’ve been with us for many years, some having worked with us for almost two decades. They have a lifetime of knowledge and are familiar faces in the community. In a regional town, people like to get to know their pharmacist and pharmacy team—they feel more comfortable placing their trust in someone they know. I find it also helps take some of the pressure off the pharmacist when customers are confident and know they can ask a pharmacy assistant for help or advice. We have champions across the store who specialise in specific services and offerings, from sleep apnoea to compression garments.

Our team is also very community focused, and we support several local charities and not-for-profit organisations as well as Blooms The Chemist national charity partners Make-A-Wish Australia and Gidget Foundation Australia.

 Why is looking after your community so important to your pharmacy? What do think your customer base values the most about your pharmacy?
Helping our local community is at the core of our business. Our team chose to work in pharmacy for the purpose of helping people. We make it our mission to develop personal relationships with customers, seeking to understand their medical history as well as their background, family, and significant events in their lives. We understand that when we’re helping to heal and support someone, we’re doing so in a holistic way. We see the person, not just the patient. And we know that our community appreciates that we genuinely care about them and their wellbeing, and the excellent support and advice they get from a pharmacy that’s locally owned and operated.

What are your values at your pharmacy and why is it so important to maintain core values in community pharmacy? 

• Honesty
• Integrity
• Passion
• Commitment
• Trust
• Respect

These values are important as they’re the heart of what we do and why we exist. We make sure new team members understand that these values guide our everyday actions and the way we engage with our community and each other. We make it a point to hire team members who share these values.

 What has been the way in which challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and 60-day dispensing have most changed the way your pharmacy operates?
 I firmly believe that challenges can be overcome, but it’s the way you manage adversity that determines the ultimate outcome. The pharmacy industry has experienced a lot of change over the past few years, but remembering why we chose this profession and working together as a team helps us overcome these challenges. The challenges have made our team stronger and allowed us to identify areas of operation where we can improve and optimise so we continue delivering exceptional care to the community.

 How has your team performed during the challenges of the past two years?
 I’m really lucky to have such an amazing team. Everyone works really well together. We’re united in our purpose, and we always have each other’s backs. Regular team meetings and emphasising consistent and open communication and feedback have helped us tackle these challenges head on. I like to think that if we’ve survived the last few years, we’ve built even greater resilience.

Can you elaborate on what your most popular service is? Why do you think it’s so successful? What’s your advice to other pharmacies seeking to strengthen that service in their store?
Sleep apnoea testing is our most popular service. We’ve been offering this service for 10 years, with the same team member responsible for the testing from when we first introduced it. Customers trust her and she has built a strong reputation within the community, mostly via word of mouth.

My advice for pharmacies seeking to strengthen sleep apnoea testing would be to have a store champion – one or two team members to specialise and provide support so your service is streamlined. Customers will build a relationship with these team members and will start coming to them for advice. Relationship building is essential in the modern world, with online shopping so readily available.

What do you predict the rest of 2023 has in store for pharmacy? 
I always try to look at the positives, so I hope the rest of 2023 will bring new and exciting opportunities for pharmacy. It’s an ever-evolving industry, and 60-day dispensing may allow pharmacists to expand their scope of practice even more in terms of offering additional health services and being more available to customers.

What do you look forward to most in 2024?
I’m looking forward to our continued participation in the UTI treatment trial and also beginning the oral contraceptive trial. I believe these are milestones for pharmacy and will really make a difference in the accessibility of healthcare, which is at the heart of Blooms The Chemist’s purpose. We’re also exploring a potential store refit, which is exciting for us and the community. I look forward to expanding our offering and services.

Describe your day-to-day challenges and how you overcome them.
Being a pharmacist requires continuous problem solving, whether that’s helping customers with their health concerns or helping our team increase their product knowledge or improve store processes. As both a pharmacist and a business owner, there’s a lot of multitasking, especially when the store is busy. I try to prioritise as much as possible, and find that open communication with both team members and customers is key.

 What has been your most satisfying moment in the pharmacy? 
The most satisfying part of my job is getting positive feedback from customers. A simple thank you, or hearing how I’ve truly helped someone just by doing my job is the reason I’m a pharmacist.

This article was first published in Retail Pharmacy November magazine.

The post A community focus appeared first on Retail Pharmacy.

In total, over 4,000 kgs of medicine packaging has been recycled since October 2022, when Blooms The Chemist rolled out in-store blister pack collection boxes across its entire network.

“Many Australians are unaware that blister packs, the packaging that pills and tablets come in, can’t be recycled through kerbside bins because they are made of various plastics and foils,” said Blooms The Chemist’s Environmental Impact Committee Lead, Kimberley Baldassarre.

“With the roll out of convenient, in-store collection boxes, combined with encouragement and education from our passionate Pharmacists, our customers have responded, and we have been overwhelmed by the uptake in recycling blister packs.”

Due to the success of the program, Blooms The Chemist and Pharmacycle have announced they will be continuing their partnership.

“It’s truly impressive what we have managed to achieve with the national support from Blooms The Chemist over the past year,” Pharmacycle’s Director, Afonso Firmo, said.

“For blister packs to be recycled, they first need to be collected in sufficient volume to warrant the use of specialised recycling technology, and we have certainly managed to collect this volume with the help of Blooms The Chemist. We are delighted that our partnership will continue.”

Blooms The Chemist is the only national pharmacy company in Australia to have launched this initiative across its entire network of more than 115 stores.

“We are proud to lead the way in what can be achieved for important environmental issues in the pharmacy industry. Our partnership with Pharmacycle allows us to reduce our waste to landfill and help our local communities to do the same. We look forward to maintaining the momentum as we head into year two of this vital work,” Ms Baldassarre said.

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Now in its sixth year, Blooms The Chemist’s Charity Golf Day brought together more than 125 sponsors and ambassadors to the Strathfield Golf course on Friday November 3 to raise funds for Make-A-Wish Australia.

Participants played in teams of four, while non-golfers were able to take part in a Paint and Sip activity, donated by Pinot & Picasso.

“We are pleased to share that our 2023 Charity Golf Day has raised $60,000 for Make-A-Wish Australia, which is a record for us,” Blooms The Chemist CEO Emmanuel Vavoulas said.

“As community pharmacy professionals, we are committed to leading with kindness and delivering caring services to all Australians, especially those who are the most vulnerable.

“We are proud to have been an official partner of Make-A-Wish Australia since 2016, helping to grant the wishes of critically ill children, and we thank all our partners, sponsors, valued customers and team members for rallying together for this very important cause,” he said.

Make-A-Wish Australia CEO Sally Bateman was a guest speaker during the Blooms The Chemist’s Charity Golf Day lunch and charity raffle. She highlighted the impact granting wishes can have on critically ill children.

“A wish granted can improve self-confidence, emotional wellbeing and play an important role in giving the child something positive to look forward to. We are dedicated to doing everything in our power to enable children with critical illnesses to create happy memories with their families that will last a lifetime,” Bateman said.

“Make-A-Wish Australia receives no government funding and relies solely on the support of organisations, the community and individuals, which is why we are so thankful to our partner, Blooms The Chemist, for hosting yet another incredibly important fundraising event.”

Since 2016, Blooms The Chemist has donated over $1.7 million to Make-A-Wish Australia through various activities, including hosting more than 100 in-pharmacy fundraisers  and baking thousands of cupcakes and biscuits for bake sales.

The other corporate sponsors who made the Blooms The Chemist Charity Golf Day 2023 possible include:

• Haleon (Major Sponsor)
• Symbion (Major Sponsor)
• Arrotex Pharmaceuticals
• Bellrock Broking
• MPS Connect
• Arotex
• Ryder Shop Fittting
• MPS Connect
• 542 Partners
• Stirling Fildes
• WMD Law
• Pharmacare
• Liberty Special Markets
• Medtronic
• NSW Pharmacy Guild
• Access Projects
• Kaimera
• Retail Joinery Workshop Australia
• Pinot & Picasso

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The 2023 Partner’s Conference took place in Hobart, Tasmania, and focussed on retail excellence, adaptability and flexibility in the face of change, and how purpose can be embedded across the organisation to ensure the values of Blooms The Chemist are celebrated.

Stephanie Trethewey, accomplished journalist and rural motherhood advocate, headlined the conference, offering the audience her unique perspective on resilience. Retail experts, Professors Lawrence “Larry” J. Ring and John Strong, delivered expansive sessions covering strategic planning, productivity and excellence in retail.

Blooms The Chemist also launched its inaugural Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), with the vision to build a future where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities can access culturally appropriate good health and wellbeing. Trish Hodge, a proud palawa (Tasmanian Aboriginal) woman, commenced the launch with a Welcome to Country ceremony.

Blooms The Chemist CEO, Emmanuel Vavoulas, said:

“Our key focus for this year’s Blooms The Chemist Partner’s Conference was to empower our network and further embed our purpose across all operations, while ensuring we continue to deliver on our healthcare promises and win in retail.

“Sessions honoured our robust growth strategy that will support our current and future Pharmacists through ongoing industry disruption and change. We want to future-proof our network, and deliver sustainable financial growth for Blooms The Chemist pharmacies, and quality, affordable care and support for their communities.”

The winners of the annual Blooms The Chemist Partner’s Conference Awards were announced on the final day of the conference. Blooms The Chemist Burwood (NSW) took home the prestigious Store of the Year Award. Over the past 12 months, the Burwood store displayed strong network values, had a positive net profit improvement from the previous year, a low turnover of team members, and high customer service and community engagement scores.

The Runner Up Store of the Year Award was handed to Blooms The Chemist Rochedale (QLD). Blooms The Chemist Karabar (NSW) was awarded the Dispensary Award, while Blooms The Chemist Port Coogee (WA) was honoured with the Community Engagement Store of the Year Award, and Blooms The Chemist Yarrawonga (VIC) won the valued Customer Service Award. The other winners included:

• Dispensary Award: Blooms The Chemist Karabar (NSW)
• Productivity Award: Blooms The Chemist Mudgee Southside (NSW)
• New Store of the Year – 24 months: Blooms The Chemist Stud Park (VIC)
• Training Store of the Year: Blooms The Chemist Windsor Riverview (NSW)
• Values and Culture Award Region 2: Jessica Kirkwood, Blooms The Chemist Queanbeyan (NSW)
• Values and Culture Award Region 7: Colin Willis, Blooms The Chemist North Perth

Blooms The Chemist is pleased to acknowledge the continuous support from its supplier partners in delivering an exceptional conference, including platinum sponsors:

• AFT Pharmaceuticals
• Arrotex Pharmaceuticals
• Haleon
• MPS Connect
• Pharmacy Sleep Services
• Reckitt
• Sandoz
• Sanofi
• Symbion
• Technology FX

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Here, the pharmacy group explains the arrangement, who’s involved, its impact so far and the highlights and challenges of the charitable initiative.

Why did you decide to partner with the Make-A-Wish Australia charity? Tell us about what you’ve aimed to achieve with them. 

As a network of community pharmacies, Blooms The Chemist recognises the importance of connection and collaboration with the communities where our teams work and live. Our unifying purpose is to build a future where everyone, everywhere has access to good health and wellbeing, and our network’s support of organisations like Make-A-Wish Australia further bolsters that commitment.

Who in your organisation is involved? 

Together with our communities, our store network has raised more than $1.7 million for Make-A-Wish Australia through local and national fundraising. Our pharmacists, pharmacy teams, local communities and our industry supplier partners have been the driving force behind this incredible milestone.

Our pharmacies continue to support Make-A-Wish from a grassroots level, holding bake sales, sausage sizzles, sporting events such as marathon swims and fun runs, and numerous raffles, competitions and other activities that engage their local communities.

Since 2017 we’ve also hosted an annual Charity Golf Day, which is a well-loved social event supported by our pharmacist owners and key supplier partners.

Our 2022 Golf Day reached a new fundraising milestone of $55,000 and we’ll continue to strive to surpass this target in 2023.

What is the reach or impact of your partnership? Who has benefited from this initiative?

Make-A-Wish Australia receives no government funding and relies solely on the support of organisations, the community and individuals, which is why the Blooms The Chemist network partners with local communities and other businesses to deliver incredibly important fundraising events.

Make-A-Wish’s mission is to grant the wish of every eligible child, with a wish journey that creates a positive, lasting impact on wish kids, their families, and their communities.

Furthermore, the entire Blooms The Chemist network benefits from directly seeing the impact their fundraising support has on wish kids and their families. Watching these kids have a once-in-a-lifetime experience gives us all a true sense of making a tangible difference in the world.

What are the highlights/greatest achievements/successes to date of this initiative?

We’ve made unicorns fly, sent rockets to the moon, and continue to support Make-A-Wish Australia’s vision to grant the wish of every eligible child, but the absolute highlight of our partnership was helping to grant Hannah’s wish.

At birth, Hannah was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, and at age five was diagnosed with the rare Aymé-Gripp syndrome. Hannah is also hearing- and vision-impaired and has an intellectual disability.

She absolutely loves lights, and her wish was to attend Vivid Sydney, but her wish was put on hold due to COVID-19.

Blooms The Chemist had the unique opportunity to work alongside Make-A-Wish Australia and Destination NSW to make Hannah’s wish come true. Together, we crafted an incredible VIP experience for Melbourne-based Hannah, her parents and her sister Willow. The entire family were involved in an immersive two-hour personalised tour of the light festival, including an extra special surprise for Hannah.

After hearing about Hannah’s story through Blooms The Chemist, Destination NSW and the team at Vivid Sydney 2022 added a special experience for her to turn on the lights for the ‘Sydney Infinity’ liquid and light show in Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour.

This was such a profound testament to the power of collaboration in making incredible things and experiences happen for some of our most vulnerable people.

What have been some of the challenges in undertaking this partnership?

One of the biggest challenges, and opportunities, was to bring our entire network on the journey. We wanted to share the incredible work of the Make-A-Wish team, and the very personal experiences of wish kids and those most close to them. We spent a lot of time in the initial stage working to inform and inspire our teams, communities and supplier partners about the people Make-A-Wish help, and the real impact of a wish. The impact and outcomes of Make-A-Wish are so moving and wish experiences are so uplifting, despite the adversity faced by these kids, that people can’t help but be inspired.

Are there other organisations/businesses connected with the initiative that have helped you with this partnership? 

We couldn’t have achieved our donation milestone without the support of our supplier partners. Our entire industry has been incredibly engaged with our partnership through their support of our fundraisers such as Golf Day, Casino Nights, Trivia Nights and donations through specific product sales campaigns. 

What’s your advice to others trying to get initiatives like this off the ground?

Ask your customers and communities about what matters to them. Our partnership with Make-A-Wish began after we engaged with our customers and asked them which charities they felt were most worthy of our support. We’re deeply moved by the level of support our community has shown this charity.

It’s also important to gather buy-in and support from everyone in your organisation. Prioritise the time and energy to helping everyone understand the impact your support will have on those who benefit from charitable and philanthropic initiatives.

Is there anything else you’d like to include in this great story?

Make-A-Wish Australia is well-known across Australia, but many people may be unaware of the impact of a wish. Through 37 years of feedback from families and a growing body of international research, we now know wishes can improve resilience in the child and their families, provide an important distraction from the child’s illness and treatment, and create a sense of normalcy.

In Australia, there are currently more than 800 kids across Australia waiting for their wish. By supporting Make-A-Wish Australia, we’re helping create a positive, lasting impact, helping children discover that, despite their situation, anything is possible.

This feature was originally published in the May issue of Retail Pharmacy magazine. 

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