By BRIDGET COOK
TWO Lyndhurst organisations have already benefitted since a new community bank branch opened at Marriot Waters.
The official opening of the new Bendigo Bank in Lyndhurst was held on Friday after the community bank opened its doors to the public in recent weeks.
The bank is a sub-branch of the Carrum Downs Community Bank branch.
To mark the occasion, donations of $2000 for special projects were made to Lyndhurst Primary School and Lynbrook Football Club.
Carrum Downs Financial Services Board chairman Greg Sugars said the company was heartened by the response to the additional branch for its successful community bank company.
“We believed Marriott Waters was the perfect location and are being proved correct,” he said.
Mr Sugars said the Carrum Downs Financial Services Board had so far been able to return more than $1.5million to the Carrum Downs community.
“We are looking forward to offer similar support around Lyndhurst,” he said.
Mr Sugars paid tribute to senior manager Len Barda for his work in bringing in the business required to open the branch.
“We established our community bank branch in 1999 because we believed in what this unique banking model would do for the area,” he said.
“And 14 years on, it is clear that our community shares this belief.
“Community bank branches started as a way to enhance a community’s access to banking services.
“But today it’s about securing an alternative source of income so that a community can fund activities or initiatives which make their town or suburb a better place to live.
“Because we’re locally owned and operated, and supported by our partner, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, we can make investments locally.”
