By Chris Thomson | posted on April 20, 2018
ALBANY folk give more of their income to charity than people from anywhere else in regional Western Australia, private sector research reveals.
The latest iteration of the National Australia Bank Charitable Giving Index shows that, in the year to February 2018, residents of Albany’s 6330 postcode donated 0.2 per cent of their income to charity.
That might not sound like much, but it meant Albany was the fourth most generous postcode in the state, behind the Perth locales of Beaconsfield/South Fremantle, East Fremantle and Inglewood.
The index compiles de-identified electronic spending data from NAB customers who donate to large charities including RSPCA, The Salvation Army, Oxfam and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
As such, cash donations and volunteer labour, associated with such fundraising endeavours as those of Weekender columnist Brendan Carson, are not included.
Dr Carson wrote a book, Heartline, which he is selling to fund the purchase of medical equipment at Albany Health Campus.
“Wow, how good is that?” he said of Albany’s impressive standing on the NAB generosity ladder.
“It does not surprise me.
“You go around and live in a beautiful place and it makes you feel good about everybody.”
Dr Carson said Albany people had been “stunningly supportive” of his fundraising.
“They have given their time and their enthusiasm, and we’ve had donations,” he said.
“The support has been overwhelming.
“It’s been lovely; they’re good people.”
He said sales of the book had gone very well, and raised enough to fund a mobile cardiac monitor for the hospital.
Aside from Albany, the only postcodes in regional WA to crack the Top 20 were Margaret River (6285) where residents donated 0.18 per cent of their income, and the Esperance suburb of Castletown (6450) where locals chipped in 0.17 per cent.
