Home. A partnership that will shape local care.
By Zoe Waters, Executive Director, Barwon Health Foundation
Sometimes the biggest gifts begin with the smallest gestures.
For more than a decade, the Cotton On Foundation has stood beside the Barwon Health Foundation, helping to fund the above and beyond to support local children, newborn babies and families being cared for at Barwon Health.
Over the past ten years, thousands of local families have received care within the Cotton On Children's Ward, Special Care Nursery and Maternity Assessment Unit - areas proudly supported through our extraordinary partnership with the Cotton On Foundation.
Every one of those families who received care at Barwon Health have their own story.
A premature baby receiving lifesaving care in the Special Care Nursery.
A child recovering after surgery in the Children's Ward.
Expectant parents finding reassurance during a visit to the Maternity Assessment Unit.
Their generosity has never simply been about helping to fund spaces or equipment. It has been about creating places where families feel supported and cared for during some of life's most important moments.
That belief proudly began right here in Geelong.
Since calling Geelong home in 1991, Cotton On has grown into one of Australia's greatest global success stories, while remaining deeply committed to the community where it all began.
What makes the Cotton On Foundation so remarkable is that its impact often starts with something wonderfully simple.
A tote bag. A bottle of water. Or perhaps a packet of mints.
Every day, across the globe, thousands of people choose to purchase a Cotton On Foundation product, knowing their purchase is helping create a thriving future for children and communities. These small acts of generosity have come together to create something extraordinary - a transformational investment in healthcare for local families. 
It is an incredibly powerful model of collective giving that makes the Cotton On Foundation's latest gift so significant.
The recent announcement of a $1.75 million gift to the Barwon Health Foundation's Barwon Women's and Children's Appeal marks the next chapter in an already extraordinary partnership.
This investment will support the future Children's Ward and Special Care Nursery within the new Barwon Women's and Children's, ensuring generations of local families continue to benefit from great care, close to home.
It is a gift that provides support for our clinicians and the future of healthcare for local children and babies, which will complement the Victorian Government’s more than $500 million investment to deliver the Barwon Women’s and Children’s project.
For us at the Barwon Health Foundation, this announcement represents far more than a major donation. It celebrates a partnership that has already touched the lives of thousands of local families and now enters an exciting new chapter.
For the decade ahead, the Cotton On Foundation will continue to be an integral part of the Barwon Health Foundation family.
So, the next time you see a Cotton On Foundation tote bag, remember it represents far more than a purchase. It represents thousands of people choosing to give back - collectively - and helping deliver a $1.75 million investment right here in Geelong, for the people of our region.
On behalf of all parents, future parents and generations of families to come, thank you to the Cotton On Foundation.
Thank you for continuing to believe in Geelong. Thank you for continuing to care for local families. And thank you for standing alongside us at the Barwon Health Foundation through our Barwon Women’s and Children’s Appeal.
