At PBG Foundation, we believe philanthropy carries a responsibility greater than simply giving. It requires us to listen carefully, act responsibly, use our resources purposefully, and work alongside communities to create outcomes that are practical, lasting and genuinely beneficial. Unity Park in Luganville, Vanuatu, represents that philosophy in action.
The project transformed an open community space into a dedicated playground where children can play, families can gather and a community can share in something created for the public good. For PBG Foundation, this was never simply about purchasing playground equipment. It was about investing in childhood. It was about creating a safe and accessible place for recreation, social connection and physical activity.
And it was about recognising a principle that sits at the heart of our charitable work, where a child is born should not determine whether that child has access to spaces that encourage them to play, develop, imagine and belong. The project was made possible through substantial philanthropic funding and an extraordinary collaborative effort between PBG Foundation, the Luganville Municipal Council, local government departments, businesses, logistics providers, skilled volunteers and members of the Luganville community.
We acknowledge with sincere gratitude the Lord Mayor and Councillors of Luganville, together with the municipal staff whose commitment and physical effort were fundamental to delivering the project.
We thank Moduplay for the manufacture of the playground equipment and Blue Water Shipping and FR8 Logistics for supporting its transportation to Vanuatu.
PBG Foundation also acknowledges Peter Bowman, Co-Founder and Director of PBG Foundation and principal donor to the project, whose philanthropic support made the project possible.
The project was managed on the ground by PBG Foundation Chairwoman Aruba de Groot-Cham, who worked directly alongside the construction team throughout the installation and delivery process.
We extend particular thanks to Jamie and Sue Ireland, whose technical expertise, dedication and extraordinary contribution of time and labour were instrumental in bringing the project to completion.
We also acknowledge Alexander de Groot, Manu, Donald, Bradley, Felix and Rick for their considerable practical assistance and hard work throughout the build.
Our gratitude extends to the Department of Water and Forestry Department for their cooperation and support; KD Enterprises for prioritising the supply of cement and sand required for the works; Santo Hardware for supporting the project through community-project pricing; and Hotel Santo for generously helping keep those working on site fed and hydrated.
Most importantly, we thank the people of Luganville. Throughout construction, members of the community stopped, watched, encouraged, assisted and, in many cases, simply joined in. That matters.
Sustainable philanthropy should not be something imposed upon a community. The strongest charitable projects are those in which local knowledge, local effort and philanthropic resources meet with a common purpose. PBG Foundation’s role is not to replace communities, governments or existing institutions. Our role is to contribute where charitable resources can make a meaningful difference; to work constructively with local stakeholders; and, wherever possible, to create infrastructure, opportunity and capacity that can continue serving people long after our direct involvement has ended.
That is the approach we intend to carry forward throughout our charitable work in Australia and the Pacific. We recognise that organisations entrusted with charitable resources must also be accountable for how those resources are used. For us, accountability is not measured only in financial records and governance processes, important though they are.
It must also be visible in outcomes. At Unity Park, the outcome can be seen in children climbing, running and playing. It can be seen in parents gathering together. It can be seen in a public space being used for the purpose for which it was created. And it can be seen in what was achieved when charitable funding, public institutions, private enterprise and ordinary citizens worked constructively together.
Australia and its Pacific neighbours share far more than geography. We share families, communities, economic relationships, history and a future that will increasingly depend upon cooperation, mutual respect and enduring people-to-people relationships.
PBG Foundation is proud to contribute to that future through practical charitable work focused on human welfare, opportunity and community benefit.
We do not believe that meaningful philanthropy is about recognition. It is about responsibility. It is about taking resources entrusted to us and asking a simple question, what lasting good can we create with them?
At Unity Park, the answer is now filled every day with the sound of children playing. And ultimately, that is who this was built for.
PBG Foundation. Purpose into action. Community into legacy.
