According to the director of a broker group, industry members should retrain themselves to be actively looking for ways to engage with and invest in their local communities.
Ray Hair, non-executive director of The Local Loan Company, just completed a 50km bicycle ride to raise awareness for the lives lost to suicide and the importance of investing in mental health.
“It was all about making a contribution to what I see as a very important cause. I was happy to give up a day to raise awareness. It’s a drop in the ocean,” he said.
Credo Financial partnered with Outside the Locker Room, a not-for-profit focused on mental health, to raise money through arranging a 3,128km relay cycle on two stationary bikes to honor the 3,128 lives lost to suicide in Australia in 2018.
When Hair heard of the venture, he knew he wanted to get involved in some capacity.
“Being The Local Loan Company, we’ve always considered the ‘local’ in the name to be about supporting the community in some shape or form," he explained.
While it may seem difficult to make time in a busy schedule or locate opportunities that resonate with you, Hair said that the chances to give back tend to present themselves once you’re open to the idea.
“Mortgage brokers are uniquely placed in that they work with individuals and small businesses and they often see, unfortunately, the effects of financial stress and what that can do to relationships and to people’s mental health," he said.
“You can do things on a smaller scale. You can do things on a bigger scale. It builds on itself. You’ll get good feedback. You can involve your staff. You can involve your clients. You can involve your business partners.
“It’s fundamentally: just do it. If you’re inclined, get involved, reach out, find something that resonates with you. It’s good for business, but it’s good for your soul."
To support the cause, visit: https://asf.org.au/donate/outside-the-locker-room-foundation/credo-financial/
