Eastwood Centre owner Yuhu Group hands out $2.8m for health, education and social projects

New Eastwood Centre owners, the Yuhu Group, distributed $2.8m in donations to fund research into children's illnesses and other projects.

The Yuhu Group, the Shenzhen property company which recently took over the Eastwood Centre, gave the shopping centre's Giving Tree a splash of sparkle on Saturday,

It delivered Christmas presents of a $1 million cash gift to the Children's Medical Research Institute and an endowment of $1.8 million over three years to establish an innovative China-Australia relations program at UTS, as well as $5000 each to Eastwood's Christmas Community Aid and Erin's Place Women;s Refuge.

Yuhu's party was a who's who, with leading lights from both sides of the political divide in the Federal and State governments.

Among them was Bennelong federal MP John Alexander, charged by Prime Minister Tony Abbott to deliver his message of appreciation to the chairman of Yuhu Group, Huang Xiangmo for his generosity and commitment to continuing the charitable work he was known for in Guangdong province in this country.

While Mr Abbott was unable to attend, the Labor Opposition was represented by its leader Bill Shorten and spokesman on Treasury affairs Chris Bowen.

China was represented by Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu and Consul-general in Sydney Li Huaxin.

Mr Huang handed the cheque, which will spearhead the redevelopment campaign for Children's Medical Research Institute, to seven-year-old Erin Rose Hutchinson and CMRI's executive director Professor Roger Reddel.

Seven-year-old Erin Hutchinson accepts the giant cheque from Yuhu Group Huang Xiangmo (second from right).

"I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the institute," Erin said.

Prof Reddel said the institute had had an important role in improving the health of babies and children for the past 50 years, pioneering world-leading research programs into preventing and treating birth defects, genetic diseases, childhood cancer, and epilepsy.

"We now need to expand our facilities so we can increase the number of scientists working on these critically important areas of child health," Prof Reddel said.

"We are most appreciative of the $20 million grant from the current NSW Government which has underpinned the development of stage one of our new facility," added Professor Frank Martin, president of the CMRI Board.

"Stage one of the $30 million research facility will be completed in mid 2014 and with Mr Huang's generosity we are appealing to the community to help raise the remaining nine million.

"When stage one opens we will have state-of-the art research facilities for 200 scientists working collaboratively under one roof, ensuring that CMRI can continue to do world-leading medical research," added Professor Reddel."

Mr Huang said that with one in 20 children born with a genetic disease or birth defect, at this time of year, more than ever, it is an opportunity to support the community.

The Yuhu group's committed $1.8 million over three years to the University of Technology Sydney to set up an Australia China Relations Institute to promote bilateral cultural and economic relationships and a hub for research.