IN so many ways, Geelong Connected Communities could not have a more compatible Major Sponsor than Bendigo Telco.
Firstly, Bendigo Telco (formerly ‘VicWest Telco’) is a company with strong ties to Geelong.
One of their main offices is located in Newtown and – as well as providing significant financial support to GCC – the company also sponsors many other Geelong organisations, such as the Geelong Football Club and Active Geelong.
Secondly, they are all about ‘connection’.
In a business sense, Bendigo Telco provides individuals, families and businesses in Geelong with secure Cloud, Data Network Solutions and Telecommunications.
This includes high-speed data connectivity and security with Central Victoria’s first enterprise-grade data centre that provides world-class data hosting facilities.
The company also assists Geelong businesses and individuals with voice products and the roll out of the NBN, working closely with many government, health, finance and renewable energies organisations.

So that’s the ‘Geelong’ and ‘Connected’ parts.
Which just leaves ‘Communities’. And helping local communities is something Bendigo Telco is very passionate about.
The company is recognized as “Australia’s leading customer and community engaged solution partner”.
And you get a strong sense of how this community emphasis permeates every aspect of the business when you hear Bendigo Telco’s Business Development Manager Jane Jackson speak about the topic.
“Our business ethos is all about connecting with communities,” Mrs Jackson said.

“We strive to create long-term sustainability and prosperity within the region and to enable successful customer outcomes through innovative solutions,” she said.
“This community focus really sets us apart from other Tier 1 telcos where we work hard to create lasting, meaningful and trusted customer relationships.
“In addition to Geelong, our business focuses on providing similar support across other regional areas including Bendigo, Ballarat, Hobart and Launceston.” The original purpose behind Geelong Connected Communities was to establish a community company that would benefit every Geelong resident.
Local businesses and institutions provide financial support to help GCC deliver a 24/7 grants program that injects money back into the community by funding projects, events and clubs around Geelong – pooling resources to have a major impact.
As Mrs Jackson points out, these values and purpose are very closely aligned to that of Bendigo Telco.
“We were conceived as a business that would retain capital flows within our region by creating a locally owned company, employing local people and providing financial returns to local investors,” she said.
“We also collaborate with local businesses to develop local technical capability to serve the greater business community.”

Bendigo Telco has been a supporter of GCC since its inception in 2013, which means it has played a vital role in helping over $1.9 million return to the Geelong community through nearly 700 different projects, events and programs.
This equates to engagement with over 300 community groups and over 200,000 individuals.
“We can really see the difference GCC has made across the Geelong region to date, improving the quality of lives of people in the region doing it tough,” Mrs Jackson said.
“As a major sponsor of GCC, we hope to make a difference to the community and to assist in increasing the number of grants funded that enrich the lives of people in Geelong.”

Recently, Bendigo Telco confirmed a new partnership with GCC, making them one of 2 Major Sponsors for the next two years. Mrs Jackson said she hoped the relationship between the two like-minded orgainsations would continue in the future. “We are very proud to be a part of this journey and to make a real difference in assisting disadvantaged groups across the region and hope to see more groups gain access to the resources that they need,” she said. “We are proud to be associated with GCC, and we look forward to this long-lasting partnership of assisting with prosperity across the region.”