People focused - connected hearts

INDEX Page

OUR STRATEGIC FOCUS (in brief) 1 ABOUT THE FOUNDATION 2 FOUNDATION FINANCES N 3 FUNDING FACTS 4 FUNDING MYTHS 4 KEY MESSAGES 5

The Bernie Banton Foundation

A BRIEF OVERVIEW

Support – Inform – Advocate – Empower

OUR STRATEGIC FOCUS (In brief)

Support – Inform – Advocate – Empower

People focused - connected hearts

Our strategic focus

To support, inform and be the voice of reason for Australian asbestos disease sufferers, their carers and loved ones, allied health and care

providers, and to the wider community.

Our purpose

Alleviate asbestos exposure and resultant suffering through support, awareness and patient related advocacy.

Our vision

Be a voice and catalyst toward the eventual elimination of asbestos related disease suffering and death.

The connected heart of the Foundation

Our ethos

Hope - Faith - Love - Compassion - Patience - Respect

Our values

Integrity - Service - Accountability - Empathy - Knowledge - Empowerment

The four pillars supporting our strategic focus

Support

Awareness and Education

Advocacy

Fundraising

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ABOUT THE FOUNDATION The Bernie Banton Foundation was founded in 2009 by its’ CEO, Karen Banton, the widow of Bernie Banton AM. It is an Australian national (New South Wales based and registered) mesothelioma asbestos cancer, and other asbestos related diseases victim support and patient related advocacy organisation, offering and providing support in all Australian states and territories, and in New Zealand. Karen Banton established the Foundation to uphold what Bernie Banton believed in; to assist people to navigate the difficult journey an asbestos related disease diagnosis presents; to enable people to have informed choice about specialist asbestos dust litigators, medical professionals and care providers; to prevent people being exposed to asbestos dust/fibres by creating awareness of mesothelioma asbestos cancer and other asbestos related diseases; and to advocate for, and to be: ‘The voice of reason for Australian asbestos disease sufferers, their carers and

loved ones, allied health and care providers, and to the wider community.’ All year round we create ongoing knowledge of the danger of asbestos by creating awareness of mesothelioma asbestos cancer and other asbestos related diseases to the community at large, with the aim of ultimately seeing a society free of asbestos related disease due to people not being exposed to dust/fibres. The Foundation is an independent, apolitical, not for profit organisation with authority to operate in all Australian states and territories. We are a broad community family that welcomes anybody who falls within the Foundation’s realm of activity. We do not discriminate on the basis of political, corporate, union or religious belief, age, race, gender, sexual orientation or creed. The Bernie Banton Foundation provides support-orientated matters such as our Asbestos Disease Helpline, patient related advocacy, medical and legal referral, asbestos disease awareness, education and information, person to person, face to face and online under the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Related Support Australia (MARSupport) banner. MARSupport encompasses sufferers, carers, family and those bereaved in every state and territory of Australia, and in New Zealand. Direct contacts (or conversations) of a support nature, including our Asbestos Disease Helpline number in the 1000s per year. These figures do not include social media, bulk mail outs, function or workshop numbers. Asbestos awareness and education is provided via the Foundation's Asbestos Awareness Information section of the Foundation’s website. We are active online via our comprehensive website and social media news and information platforms.

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FOUNDATION FINANCES

• The Bernie Banton Foundation is a registered charity with the Australian Government regulative authority, the Australian Charities and Not for Profits Commission (ACNC).

• The Foundation is audited annually by an applicably registered auditor, its’

constitution, information statements and financials can be viewed (and downloaded) by clicking on the ACNC Registered Charity Tick of Approval logo wherever it appears on the Foundation’s website: www.berniebanton.com.au

• The Foundation runs on extremely low overheads, paying no property purchasing, rental, leasing or associated utility costs, neither does it pay any vehicle purchase costs. Its CEO and its Awareness and Support Co-ordinator [the Foundation’s only two employees] are paid a minimal salary, on a full-time weekly casual basis, with each generally volunteering considerable extra hours every week, working on the day to day running of the Foundation, manning the Foundation’s Support Helpline and running asbestos disease victim support and advocacy services.

• Awareness programmes, other than its’ ongoing online and social media presence and telephone support, are only undertaken when finances become available to allow these programmes to be run on a fully funded basis, time permitting.

• Other than day-to-day operating accounts (phone, internet, etc.), the

Foundation has zero ongoing liabilities, or lines of credit. It could rightly be said the foundation runs a budget within its means, without any current, ongoing, or future debt liability.

• The Bernie Banton Foundation has approval to fundraise in NSW,

Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT.

• The Bernie Banton Foundation has an online fundraising agreement with GoFundraise and Everyday Hero Pty Ltd. These portals can be utilised, when fundraisers are raising funds to benefit the Foundation, and by participating in events that are run under their auspices in the above states and territory. To find out more, please go to our Community Fundraising pages on the Foundation website.

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FUNDING FACTS

• The Foundation relies on donations, bequests and fundraising from individuals and the wider community; corporate sponsorship and Government funding to survive and continue with its vital support and awareness services.

• We do not charge, or place expectation of donations being made for any of our services (however, we gratefully accept donations from those who appreciate the support or services we offer), neither do we have (and never will have) any ‘pay by referral’ or 'quota' type relationship with any legal firms, medical specialists, individuals; corporate, union, or government bodies. We do however have relationships with, and recommend people and organisations we believe are specialists at what they do, are holistic and importantly, ethical!

• We are blessed to have, and rely on loyal fundraising supporters, a small

number of corporate sponsors, backing from the NSW government, and members of the general public making donations, bequests and people giving in memory of a loved one, to maintain our asbestos diseases victim support services and to keep the Foundation viable.

• We are extremely appreciative of every dollar offered to support the

Foundation and the work it carries out.

• We welcome donations or funding from any individual or organisation providing there is no stipulations attached that will comprise our aims, vision or beliefs.

FUNDING MYTHS Many people mistakenly believe the Bernie Banton Foundation receives large amounts of funding from either the Australian or state governments; or that asbestos litigation firms fully fund the Foundation.

• The Foundation has never had ongoing funding from the Australian Government, and never had any funding at all from any state or territory government, until being awarded a small 3 year grant from the NSW Government’s, icare Dust Diseases Care in April 2017.

• The second misconception is that asbestos dust litigation law firms fully fund the foundation. Whilst currently dust litigation law firms thankfully do contribute and make up the Foundation’s largest single funding component, historically (on average) their funding contribution has accounted for between 0% and less than 20% of the total amount needed for the Foundation to be fully funded.

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KEY MESSAGES

1. Bernie Banton AM was a passionate and tenacious campaigner, advocate and public face for asbestos related disease (ARD) sufferers in the fight for justice and compensation throughout the 2000s. Bernie passed away from mesothelioma asbestos cancer over a decade ago on 27 November 2007.

2. The Bernie Banton Foundation is an apolitical, not-for-profit asbestos related disease support organisation founded in 2009 by Bernie Banton’s widow, Karen Banton. The Foundation builds on Bernie Banton’s legacy of supporting sufferers of asbestos related diseases and their loved ones, and creating awareness of asbestos related diseases.

3. Australia has the second highest recorded rate of malignant mesothelioma cancer

deaths in the world per capita, after the UK. In Australia, two people are diagnosed each day with mesothelioma cancer and two people die each day as a result of mesothelioma cancer.

4. The Bernie Banton Foundation’s MARSupport (Mesothelioma and Asbestos Related Support) offers person to person (telephone), face to face and online peer-based, information, referral, advocacy and emotional support for those who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma asbestos cancer or another asbestos related disease, their carers, immediate family members and bereaved carers.

5. Australians and New Zealanders who have been diagnosed with an asbestos

related disease, or their carers, can access the Bernie Banton Foundation’s Asbestos Disease Helpline 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.

6. The general public (those not defined as above) can access the Asbestos Disease Helpline during the Foundation’s publically accessible work hours – 10.00am to 4.00pm Monday to Friday.

7. Asbestos related disease and asbestos awareness and education information is provided online via the Foundation’s MARSupport and Asbestos Awareness Australia website and social media portals.

8. By donating or leaving a bequest to the Bernie Banton Foundation, you can

help the Foundation expand its vital mesothelioma asbestos cancer and asbestos related diseases support and awareness services. All donations of $2.00 or over are tax deductible.

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