Hornery Group nominated for SME Philanthropist of the Year, thanks Moranbah community

Lachlan Hornery’s family consider themselves lucky they could cherish his final weeks together with undivided attention. But they also realised others were less fortunate.

It was the weeks spent huddled around the hospital bed in 2008 sharing final precious moments with their son Lachlan that inspired the Percy and Sandra Hornery to make a change.

Lachlan’s brother Derran Hornery said his family was fortunate not to worry about money, accommodation or their business during Lachlan’s final weeks.

“We could focus all our time on Lachlan,” Mr Hornery said.

But the during their time at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, the Hornery family realised others in the ward were not so fortunate.

The Moranbah company Hornery Group has been nominated for the SME Philanthropist of the year. Picture: Hornery Group

“There was another girl in the hospital, and her parents were travelling back and forth from the Gold Coast, taking it in shifts,” Mr Hornery said.

“We saw other people sleeping on couches, accommodation was hard to come by.”

Lachlan Hornery lost his battle in 2008, but his memory lives on in through the Hornery Group’s foundation 4ULOC which has since raised $324,000 for the RBWH and RACQ.

The Moranbah company Hornery Group has been nominated for the SME Philanthropist of the year. Picture: Hornery Group

“When we came away from there we wanted to give something back, to make it easier for people going through it,” Mr Hornery said.

“We thought how can we help, how can we make this better?”

Mr Derran said while they were not able to cure sickness, the family was determined to make things more comfortable.

Since they began, Mr Derran said Hornery Group have been able to provide things like a call system in the hospital so people could get in for treatment without needing to wait all day, IV trolleys, heated blankets, more comfortable chairs and a myriad of other resources the hospital has recommended.

The group donates $25 per hour to the RBWH from two Kenworth trucks which operate daily, and annual events like the 4U2 concert.

The Moranbah company Hornery Group has been nominated for the SME Philanthropist of the year. Picture: Hornery Group

The trucks also attend community and charity events, raising awareness and gathering donations for cancer care services.

The Hornery Group has now been nominated for the SME Philanthropist of the Year Award.

Mr Derran said it was nice to be nominated for the award, but the real success was in the small comforts they had been able to provide and the trust the Moranbah community had given them.

Moranbah company Hornery Group has been nominated for the SME Philanthropist of the year. Picture: Hornery Group

“We wouldn’t be able to do this without the community backing us,” Mr Derran said.

“The proud part about it all is that people believe in us.

“When one or two people believe in you, it‘s good, when a community believes in you, it’s a great thing.

“There is a lot a good in the human race.”