St John WA to further help communities through generous donation

St John WA – and communities around Western Australia – are set to benefit after WA grain-growers have helped deliver $680,000 to 22 charities through CBH Group’s Harvest Mass Management Scheme (HMMS).

This was generated from 1304 tonnes delivered by WA growers.

Delivered in partnership with Main Roads WA, HMMS aims to reduce the number of overloaded grain trucks arriving at CBH receival sites during harvest.

This year’s funding will support a range of services across regional WA, including mental health, drought relief, emergency support, youth mentoring and community wellbeing initiatives.

CBH Chair Simon Stead said the contribution reflected the co-operative’s commitment to WA’s regional communities.

“HMMS reinforces the importance of safe loading during harvest, while ensuring forfeited grain can still deliver value for regional communities,” Mr Stead said.

“As a grower-owned co-operative, CBH is proud to see the proceeds support organisations that matter to growers, employees and the communities we operate in.

“This year’s donation is a practical example of co-operative value staying close to home.”

St John WA will receive $70,000 from the scheme to support the continued growth of the Community First Responder and State Defibrillator Network throughout grain-growing regions, helping improve emergency response capabilities in regional communities.

St John WA Social Sustainability Manager Angel Robins expressed her heartfelt gratitude to CBH and WA grain growers for their generous donation.

“Alongside keeping defibrillators accessible and ready to use, we’ll work with CBH to bring first aid training to farmers, helping them feel more confident to step in when a family member, workmate or neighbour needs help,” she said.

Last year’s HMMS contribution resulted in a $60,000 donation to St John WA, with the funding supporting the installation of new defibrillators and the ongoing maintenance of the network in the Wheatbelt region.

In the 2025/26 financial year, this support has helped St John WA:

• Add 14 new locations to the Community First Responder network, with defibrillators and cabinets accessible 24/7.
• Replace 36 ageing cabinets/doors to improve durability, usability and ongoing public access.
• Support communities across the Great Southern, Midwest and Wheatbelt.
• Improve access along key regional transport routes, with 7 new locations positioned on major regional roads.

Since 2012, the HMMS has donated more than $4.3 million to organisations supporting people living and working in WA’s grain-growing communities.