Small businesses lend a helping hand to fire-affected peers

It was just before New Year. The temperature was in the high thirties and Tom Baker’s Spring Terrace workshop was surrounded by bushfire smoke.

“The smoke was so thick you barely see that building over there, it was just horrible,” said Tom, who relocated his reclaimed furniture making business from Narromine to the Orange district just 13 months ago.

“I was working here in the smoke and thought imagine losing all this, you know, all gone in a moment in a fire.”

Looking around for some way to help, Tom noticed there was no easy way to help other small business owners like himself.

“People were donating to the RFS and things like that, and that is great, but I couldn't find anyone going to small businesses… so I just put something on Instagram and people jumped in and I now I’ve had to follow through!”

Businesses from across the Central West have jumped onboard Tom’s idea and donated goods to the value of over $12,000 that are being raffled online in a fundraiser called ‘Bushfire Relief for Small Business by Small Business’.

Tom, himself, has donated one of his hand-made reclaimed timber tables.

“I has spoken to Ashcroft's Let's Make Better and they have come on board to handle the donations… and I have been talking to Shoalhaven City Council and they're going to help me allocate where the money will go. So they will create a panel to decide who in the hard hit areas — Batemans Bay, Mogo, Bega, places like that — who will get designated the money,” said Tom.

“It will be given to small business or things that affect small business and so 100 per cent of money raised will go to where the Shoalhaven council says it should go.”

Working out the logistics has taken over four weeks to sort out, but Tom expects the raffle to be online any day now. “It’s been pretty hard; it is not just as easy as raising money and giving it to someone,” said Tom, who has been impressed by the amount of support his idea has gained.

“There have been a lot of people who want to help and a lot of them like the idea of more focused help, so you actually see it goes to small businesspeople like themselves. Everyone is small business who has donated, so we all understand what it is like.”

Businesses who have donated items to be raffled include: TK Reclaimed, Naked Concrete and Co, Hilton Homestead, Dirtwater Leather Australia, Glamping New England, Dimity, Inspired Designs, Penny Banks Art, Mink and Me, Deja Vu Emporium, The Mixed Up Thermo Lady Belinda Nugent, Barb's Clean and Cook Service, Serena Louise Yoga, Harriet Kate Designs, Trying for out Health, Two Grey Elephants, The Establishment Bar Dubbo, Wilkens Estate, and Sara's Cake Studio

To buy tickets, go to www.raffletix.com.au/letsmakebetter