Charity at heart of the Gold Coast as nominations for ‘Angels Among Us’ top more than 100

The Gold Coast is known for its beaches, but the city is also home to some of the state’s most generous givers, with hundreds of charities sprouting and taking root in the community.

FROM a simple conversation to a jolt of inspiration in the night, some of the Gold Coast’s greatest charities are being born.

Known for its entrepreneurial spirit, the Gold Coast is also home to many of the state’s most generous givers, with hundreds of charities sprouting in the community.

The call for nominations for the Harvey Norman Gold Coast Women of the Year awards has unearthed many local gems, with more than 100 nominations for the “Angels Among Us’’ category, celebrating women who have worked to meet a need in the community.

Carly Fradgley, founder of Baby Give Back, is one of them.

Carly Fradgley the founder of "Baby Give Back", a charity that helps disadvantaged families with small children pictured at their West Burleigh warehouse. (Photo/Steve Holland)

Like many of the Gold Coast’s charity founders, she stumbled upon a problem and took it upon herself to fix it.

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Modelled off St Kilda Mums, the Baby Give Back organisation works to take on donated baby goods, from prams to nappies, to assist new mums in tough situations.

Working directly with hospitals or case workers, the group can put the call out for certain items and works to get pre-loved gear up to Australian safety standards.

“It started when I wanted to donate my gear but I discovered there wasn’t anything like that here on the Gold Coast,” said Ms Fradgley, a mother of two and a lawyer.

Dr Shahina Braganza works in the emergency department of the University Hospital. Picture by Scott Fletcher

“So I just started recruiting friends and family and working out of a spare room.

“When we started we didn't know too much about the need but wanted to give, but we have discovered there is much more need on the Gold Coast than we could have imagined.

“Homelessness, especially for families, is a really big problem and rental stress is enormous.

“Purchasing everything for a new born can be expensive and a lot of families are already struggling. We want to make sure these babies are given the best start in life.”

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The charity, aided by 200 volunteers, has since helped more than 1200 babies and children.

Families in need of assistance range from those escaping domestic violence to those battling illnesses.

Gold Coast identity, Nicolle Edwards and RizeUp co-founder. Picture: Jerad Williams

Only this month the group raised funds to provide a crib for a premature baby who had been in hospital since April.

“Because of the donations from our community, the baby and mum were able to go home for Christmas,” she said.

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“It is hard but it is the most rewarding work I can ever imagine doing.”

For fellow nominee Dr Shahina Braganza, a senior emergency medicine doctor, it was the need for self-care among her colleagues that inspired her.

She established the oneED in 2016, a foundation with a goal to normalise conversations around wellness and struggle so healthcare workers won’t suffer in silence.

“It was a middle of the night idea, after spending a few weeks thinking about how we deal with compassion fatigue, burnout and even suicide,” she said.

“I had an amazing colleague years ago who gave me permission to look after myself and to feel some of the things we feel. I think that is important.

“We need to be given the ability to feel vulnerable. I think that can often be a strength.

“Ultimately the more in touch with ourselves we can be, the better we can be with our patients.”

For RizeUp founder Nicolle Edwards, the inspiration didn’t come in the night.

Instead it came in the form of just one woman in need.

“We had a woman that needed to find a place to go because of a domestic violence situation, and I remember putting the call out to friends and family,” Ms Edwards said.

“At that point my immediate circle responded. Everyone is so passionate about it (but) they just don’t really know how to help.

“This happened and I am a really big believer in when things fall we need to follow through with that. We soon realised how much demand there was out there.’’

Ms Edwards and her husband closed their business and now operate the charity full time, working to support families affected by domestic and family violence.