Gold Coast car sales, business titan James Frizelle shells out $25m donation to crisis centre

A Gold Coast business titan has shelled out a whopping eight-figure boost to a city cause. Read their reaction

Socials. James Frizelle opening of Springwood Jaguar Landrover with Georgia Frizelle. Picture: Richard Gosling

A Gold Coast business titan has shelled out a whopping $25 million gift to charity.

The charitable foundation of car sales and business mogul James Frizelle dished out the eight-figure donation at a gala in Surfers Paradise on Friday night.

It will help bring a Gold Coast charity a step closer to bringing urgently needed shelters for people fleeing domestic violence to the city.

The huge sum – donated by the James Frizelle Charitable Foundation – was revealed at the St John’s Crisis Centre’s Glitz and Glam Gala.

St John’s general manager Dianne Kozik said the generous donation would go towards building two new domestic violence shelters, where survivors could stay in emergency accommodation for three months before transitioning to another centre for up to a year.

Ms Kozik said their vision was to keep families together and enable them to find some stability.

“We realised domestic violence is a growing issue around the world and especially (here),” she said. “It’s going to be an amazing legacy that the Frizelle Foundation will leave on the Gold Coast.”

Ms Kozik said their team was incredibly grateful for the donation, but community support through volunteers or donations was as crucial as ever.

“Without the support of the community, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do,” she said.

Mr Frizelle, who started the foundation in 2019, praised the work done by the St John’s Crisis Centre on the Gold Coast.

James Frizelles Automotive Group founder James Frizelle at his Southport office - he’s now the founder of the James Frizelle Charitable Foundation. Picture: Mike Batterham

“We have seen the number of family domestic violence cases rise across Australia and indeed the Gold Coast and having spoken to various local charities and indeed victims who face the real prospect of refuges being full, we decided that we would partner with St John’s Crisis Centre,” he said.

Speaking about the plans for the shelters Mr Frizelle added: “It is not a simple donation, but one which will more than likely take a year or so to build and one which St John’s will own and operate in perpetuity.

“Together we can all make a difference.”

Originally published as Gold Coast car sales, business titan James Frizelle shells out $25m donation to crisis centre