This year, we proudly partnered with Vinnies WA to raise vital funds to support homeless services across Western Australia
Across two events, the Vinnies CEO Sleepout and inaugural 'Beanie to Black Tie' Charity Ball, more than $128,000 was raised by passionate attendees and donors, with a shared community vision to end homelessness in WA.
The CEO Sleepout is an annual fundraising event organised by the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Australia to raise awareness about homelessness and to raise funds to support Vinnies homelessness services across the country.
Held on Thursday 22 June, Ventia's Group CEO, Dean Banks, joined more than 80 other business leaders in sleeping outdoors at Optus Stadium, with only a cardboard box and a sleeping bag. Thanks to many generous donations, Dean's fundraising page reached a total of $57,514, making him the second highest fundraiser on the night.
Pictured above: Matt Vapor, who presented about his lived experience of homelessness at the Charity Ball.
Group CEO Dean Banks spent a night 'sleeping rough' in the 2023 CEO Sleepout to raise awareness and funds for Vinnies homelessness services across the country.
The inaugural Ventia-led Beanie to Black Tie Charity Ball was held the following night on Friday 23 June. The event brought together our clients, suppliers, subcontractors and colleagues to raise funds to support Vinnies homelessness services. Across ticket sales, raffle tickets, donations, and silent and live auctions, the event raised just over $71,000.
The total funds of over $128,000 will go directly to Vinnies WA to help fund initiatives that support homelessness services across the state.
Ventia Chairman David Moffatt with Vinnies WA State President David Kennedy.
Susan Rooney, Vinnies WA CEO, expressed her gratitude for the partnership, saying: "Homelessness is not an issue just for people experiencing homelessness - it's an issue for every single one of us in the community.
For Ventia to take this on and say, 'this is really important to us - this is something we want to put energy and effort into' is extraordinary...we're just so very grateful for the partnership.
Susan Rooney, Vinnies WA CEO was grateful for the partnership with Ventia across the two events.
Ventia's Group CEO, Dean Banks, also expressed his appreciation: 'A massive thank you to everyone who has generously donated. Fundraising makes a difference, but it's also people who make the difference, by showing care and humility".
Watch our video to see the highlights from the night
Ventia + Vinnies | WA Charity Ball 2023 from Ventia on Vimeo.
Recognition and thanks
We'd like to express our sincere thanks to following people and businesses for making the Charity Ball such a success.
Matt Vapor who shared his deeply emotional and raw lived experience of homelessness (pictured top). Matt is an educator and public speaker who has overcome many challenges in his life; domestic abuse, dropping out of high school, homelessness and rough sleeping at 16 years old, violence and subsequent life-long mental health challenges. While Matt ran from these issues for over 20 years, he now shares these challenges and uses them to educate about the dangers associated with not addressing them earlier. 
Tim Gossage who was our MC and Auctioneer for the evening. Tim is an Australian sports commentator and Australian rules football coach based in Perth, Western Australia. During his time, Tim has featured on Chanel 10 as a news presenter and sport commentator. Tim is also an experienced radio host having worked on Nova 937, 6PR and Hot FM and is renowned in the Perth community as one of the most sought-after local auctioneers.
Barry McGuire and family for performing the innovative and inspiring Welcome to Country. Barry is a Balladong Noongar Wadjuk man, a highly regarded public speaker, entrepreneur and consultant for local, State and Federal Government. He is the Chairman of Safespear Group Holdings as well as the appointed cultural advisor for the Indigenous Emerging Business Forum.
Barry McGuire and his family performed an innovative and inspiring Welcome to Country at the Charity Ball.
Our platinum sponsors: Techforce Personnel, Boom Logistics, Regency Food Services
and Rioli Management Services/ ATM Group of Companies.
Our spotlight sponsors: LGC Traffic Management, DRD Group, CORPS Group, Envisage Engineering, Innovative Electrical Contractors, Myelec Electrical Wholesalers, TerraVac Vacuum Excavation, Cundaline Resources, INPEX, Coates, SkillHire, Accurate STP, BP and SG Fleet.
Our event sponsors: Kwik Kopy Perth CBD, PAV, Flip Tease, Moet Hennessy, Optus Stadium and Popi Pash.
A sincere thanks to all our sponsors who supported the event and made it such a success.
About Vinnies
Vinnies is one of Australia's largest national charities, founded over 150 years ago to support Australians living in poverty. Annually in WA, Vinnies supports over 61,000 individuals.
Vinnies may be more commonly recognised by their retail stores that are scattered around the country. It is the revenue from these stores, donations from the public and corporate partnerships like ours that fund the work of Vinnies in the community.
Vinnies WA provides a variety of services including an Emergency Assistance and Support Program, financial counselling, as well as specialist homelessness, housing and mental health services.
Learn more: www.vinnies.org.au
