Greater Charitable Foundation has welcomed prominent Newcastle businesswoman, Julie Ainsworth OAM, to its Board of Trustees, while current Trustee, Jayne Drinkwater, has taken on the role of Foundation Chair.
The changes follow the retirement of Greater Charitable Foundation Chair and inaugural Trustee, Anne Thurlow, who stood down in November 2022 following more than a decade of service.
Julie Ainsworth is the former General Manager of Newcastle Newspapers and a long-time business and community advocate. Over the past two decades she has held directorships and advisory roles with 20 not-for-profit foundations, associations, and local charities.
Most notably, she was member of the Mark Hughes Foundation Advisory Committee, University of Newcastle Foundation Advisory Board, the Samaritans Marketing and Fundraising Committee, City of Newcastle Australia Day Council, an Ambassador for the John Hunter Children’s Hospital Kids Club, and for 12 years held a position on the Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation.
In 2020, Ms Ainsworth was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for service to the community of Newcastle.
“Giving back to the Hunter community that has given me so much for many years is something that I am very passionate about. It’s why I’ve dedicated my time to serving the boards of organisations that share this philosophy,” Ms Ainsworth said.
“I’ve watched on for more than 10 years at the wonderful work Greater Charitable Foundation has done working with a wide range of partners to improve life outcomes and financial well-being for individuals, families and communities.
“I’m very much looking forward to working with the board as we continue to grow our support of partners across the Hunter and beyond.”
Jayne Drinkwater has stepped into the role of Chair after five years on the Greater Charitable Foundation Board. She is also a director of the newly formed Newcastle Greater Mutual Group Board, established following the merger of Greater Bank and Newcastle Permanent.
Ms Drinkwater welcomed the addition of Ms Ainsworth to the Board.
“Julie has been a wonderful supporter of the Hunter community for many years and a strong advocate for a range of campaigns and organisations,” Ms Drinkwater said.
“Not only does she bring experience and business acumen to our board, but also a great passion and a desire to make a difference.”
Greater Charitable Foundation funds practical, life-changing initiatives, with a key focus on enhancing the financial wellbeing of individuals, families and communities. It does so by partnering with Australian-based charitable organisations, throughout Greater Bank's area of operations, to provide significant opportunities designed to improve life outcomes.
Since 2011, Greater Charitable Foundation has committed more than $12 million in funding to community partners across NSW and beyond, which has positively impacted the lives of more than 36,000 Australians.
