Our partners

The Veterans Benevolent Fund (VBF) is the charitable arm of the RSL & Services Clubs Association. It is a registered charity under the ACNC, with funds directed to valid programs and services focused on veterans and their families.

With the increasing frequency and intensity of bushfires and floods, our relationship with the VBF has been exceptionally valuable in funding much needed equipment.

Funding highlights
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Considering the increased need for disaster recovery operations assisting local communities now and into the future, DRA identified a shortfall of PPE with which to equip veterans for training and operations. The VBF graciously donated funds to allow us to equip our veterans with long-sleeve uniform work-shirts, cotton high vis vests, rigger gloves and face shields for chainsaw qualification courses.
• Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) – DRA regularly deploys veterans to remote disaster zones throughout the year to assist in recovery and resilience operations. To aid DRA in looking after the veteran community and maintain a safe working environment, VBF funded 20 AEDs for placement in each Disaster Relief Team, fleet vehicle and Strike Team kit for deployment.

In August 2018, DRA came seriously close to suffering a fatality from a heart attack. Brett Burriss, then just 42, returned to the groups base at Dubbo RSL after a long day assisting farmers with drought relief in Western NSW. A little…