Supporting Local

An Update from Air Fusion Regarding the Eltham Basketball Club

Dear Air Fusion Community,

We want to share an important update regarding our sponsorship of the Eltham Basketball Club. Like many of you, we are deeply concerned by the recent news involving the club’s former CEO. We strictly condemn any behavior that puts children or anyone in our community at risk.

We understand the club is going through an incredibly difficult time, and they have assured us they will undertake the following steps to protect it’s members.

Safety priority: The club’s leadership has assured us that the safety and wellbeing of every child and participant is their absolute priority.
Independent review: The club is hiring an external workplace expert alongside Basketball Victoria and the Social Services regulator. They will thoroughly review all child safety practices and staff procedures to ensure this can never happen again.
Leadership changes: Club President Peter Meehan has stepped down during this review. Vice President Carrie Davies has stepped up as the Interim President.

As a local business, we care deeply about the families, players, and volunteers impacted by this situation. We expect the club to cooperate fully with the authorities and strictly implement every safety recommendation that comes out of the independent review.

Thank you for your ongoing support as we navigate this together with our community.

Local Eltham Community

Top Ten reasons to Think Local – Buy Local – Be Local

We realize it is not always possible to buy what you need locally and so merely ask you to Think Local FIRST!

BUY LOCAL – SUPPORT YOURSELF

Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally-owned business, rather than a nationally-owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers, and farms — continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community.

SUPPORT COMMUNITY GROUPS

Non-profit organizations receive on average 250% more support from smaller business owners than they do from large businesses.

KEEP OUR COMMUNITY UNIQUE

Where we shop, where we eat and have fun — all of it makes our community home. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of this place. Our tourism businesses also benefit. “When people go on vacation they generally seek out destinations that offer them the sense of being someplace, not just anyplace.” ~ Richard Moe, President, National Historic Preservation Trust

REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation, and generally set up shop in town or city centres as opposed to developing on the fringe. This generally means contributing less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss, and pollution.

CREATE MORE GOOD JOBS

Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally, and in our community, provide the most jobs to residents.

GET BETTER SERVICE

Local businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know customers.

INVEST IN COMMUNITY

Local businesses are owned by people who live in this community, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the community’s future.

PUT YOUR TAXES TO GOOD USE

Local businesses in town centres require comparatively little infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public services as compared to nationally- owned stores entering the community.

BUY WHAT YOU WANT, NOT WHAT SOMEONE WANTS YOU TO BUY

A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term. A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based not on a national sales plan but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers guarantees a much broader range of product choices.

ENCOURAGE LOCAL PROSPERITY

A growing body of economic research shows that in an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character.