BRISBANE: Following the success of its inaugural charity event in support of Safe Haven Community in 2021, The Calile has announced it will partner with Reason to Thrive at a Gala Charity Dinner and Online Auction on Friday August 19th.

Despite the ever-evolving challenges surrounding live events mid-pandemic, the 2021 luncheon, attended by 150 local guests, raised over $169,000 in donations for Save Haven Community and delivered a stellar star-gazing opportunity with Matt Damon and his wife Luciana Barosso attending the event and actively supporting the cause.

In a continued commitment to community, The Calile Hotel has selected Brisbane-based charity Reason to Thrive as the partner and beneficiary for this year’s Gala, with all event proceeds and donations directly benefiting and providing crucial funding for their programs.

Reason to Thrive provides unique life skills and personal development programs to support at-risk children and women whose lives have been impacted by family and domestic violence. Through experiential equine-assisted learning (EAL) programs, the volunteer-led organisation helps participants rebuild, recover, and reconnect with themselves and learn leadership, self-awareness, and social-emotional skills, through a safe and respectful relationship experience with horses.

Julie Tom of Reason to Thrive says the partnership will make a big difference in helping fulfil the hopes of participants currently on the organisation’s waiting list,

“Thanks to the generous support of the Calile team, sponsors, and those joining us at the event, we’re all helping to give as many at-risk youth and women in our community the opportunity to build a brighter and more promising future for themselves and their families – something that each and every one of us has the right to achieve. On behalf of all future participants, we thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.”

At the August 19th Gala, guests will be joined by hosts Wendy Harmer and Tim Davis for an evening of entertainment courtesy of Warner Music, rousing discussion and excellent food and libations from the likes of Sushi Room, SK Steak & Oyster, sAme sAme alongside Louis Roederer and Craggy Range.

The opportunity for giving on the night will be immense, and The Calile’s community have rallied, donating over $110,000 in prizes to the cause. The prize pool is generous in size and value from experience prizes, each worth over $3,000 and indulgence prizes over $1,000. Gala attendees on the night will also have access to exclusive live auction prizes called by award-winning real estate auctioneer Haesley Cush.

The Calile Gala Charity Luncheon tickets are available online.

The grass is officially greener on The Calile side, with their rooftop now home to an organic, edible garden and a hive of very happy busy bees.

Making the most of the sunshine, eight tidy wooden planter boxes now line the Doggett Street side of the hotel’s roof. Installed earlier this year – French millet, buckwheat, mung bean and other legumes were the first crops to be planted, cultivated and composted in order to produce organic ‘green manure’ – soil for growing healthy, strong and nutrient rich produce.

Last month, the autumn crop was planted, featuring more than 42 varieties of lettuce, sorrel, tomatoes, sugar snap peas, garlic and grapevines to name just a few.

The seedlings have been selected to not only supply and compliment the menus of Lobby Bar and other in-house restaurants, but to pay homage to the hotel owners’ Lebanese heritage.

Lobby Bar Head Chef, Andy Gunn said, “The goal is to achieve zero waste, the menu is flexible enabling us to replace ingredients where required”.

It’s Andy, who alongside the Future Wild team, will continue to farm The Calile garden.

“It sets Lobby Bar apart from other venues and ,as a Chef, it’s an amazing tool and privilege to have this on the roof,” he said.

The produce has been planted with organic, biodynamic and permaculture principles in mind – by growing nasturtium, borage, marigolds and alyssum, pests will be organically controlled and the neighbouring honeybees fed.

To overcome Brisbane’s volatile weather, The Calile’s architect, Ingrid Richards of Richards And Spence, designed a custom-arched trellis to sit over the planters to encourage green canopy growth – made up of plants like grapevines, peas and cucumbers that will in turn, protect the crops.​​​​​​​

The Bees and The Bees, No Birds
No garden is complete without some welcome pollinators – bee tête-à-tête starts now.  Four Langstroth hives take up residence next to the edible garden and play home to thousands of bees. There is one queen per hive and approximately 85% of the ‘worker bees’ are female (girl power!).

Each hive has ten frames (where the bees do their business) and each frame produces roughly 2.3 kilograms of honey.

This means that sweet, sweet Calile honey will soon be stocked in the hotel’s lobby shop, Museum of Small Things (M.O.S.T.) and be featured in Lobby Bar dishes.

Busy Bee Facts:
According to The Calile’s resident Apiarist, Amy Murray:

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kristie Mancell
Sales & Marketing Manager, The Calile
+61 432 707 722 / [email protected]

Jodi Clark
Director of Communications, TFE Hotels
+61 499 900 658 / [email protected]

ABOUT COLLECTION BY TFE HOTELS
Collection by TFE Hotels represent beautiful hotels hallmarked by authenticity and provenance, each designed with individual character and charm. With a collection of properties that encompass striking design and attention to the individual such as The Calile Hotel Brisbane, The Hotel Britomart in Auckland, Melbourne’s The Savoy Hotel on Little Collins and Hotel Kurrajong Canberra.

Queensland’s leading hotel The Calile has announced it will partner with Safe Haven Community to host a Charity Luncheon on Friday 7 May 2021.

In a commitment to community, The Calile Hotel announced its inaugural philanthropic partnership to drive long-lasting change, social discourse and positive engagement.

Hosted by high profile Australian actress and comedian Julia Zemiro, this first event, which aims to raise much-needed funds and awareness, will be led by an Online Auction featuring over $105,000 worth of luxury items and experiences which will go live to bidding from Tuesday 27 April.

On offer will be an extensive selection of more than 40 auction items reflecting the generous support of many high-profile national brands. Prizes range from fashion, art, food and travel to exclusive lifestyle experiences.

All proceeds from the Online Auction will go to Safe Haven Community. Safe Haven Community provides early intervention and critical housing for at-risk women and children in need of a safe place to temporarily reside when their homes become unsafe or untenable due to coercive control which can often escalate to violent acts.

Currently, Safe Haven Community receives no government funding and is totally reliant on community support.

“Being in a position to help Safe Haven Community effect change for the better is a privilege for The Calile. We are inspired by what Safe Haven Community has achieved to date, with little more than goodwill and determination. Raising awareness to help at-risk individuals escape a life of abuse and change the prospects for the next generation is a meaningful purpose,” states Catherine Malouf, founding family member of The Calile Hotel.

“Our James Street and broader community has truly rallied in support of the charity auction and we along with Safe Haven Community have been overwhelmed with the generosity of our neighbouring retailers and partners. The auction pool is a remarkable reflection of genuine support.”

The event will also provide an opportunity to hear from guest speakers – Australian Greens Senator Larissa Waters and ABC Journalist Nour Haydar, who will discuss the need for increased national recognition and better awareness of coercive control in our communities.

Senator Waters is an advocate for gender equality and eliminating gendered violence, as well as the current co-convenor of Parliamentarians for Action to Reduce Violence Against Women.

“Coercive control is the most pervasive form of domestic abuse and a red flag for escalating violence. We urgently need a national conversation about how to recognise the signs and strengthen our response to controlling behaviours“ said Senator Waters.

The Calile Hotel and Safe Haven Community fund-raising event represents a vital step in ensuring that the on-going vision and sacrifice of charity Founder Denise Hunter, along with the help of dedicated unpaid volunteers is recognised. It will serve as vital acknowledgment to ensure the Safe Haven Community continues to establish a network of rooms nationwide to help those living in abusive environments.

Safe Haven Community CEO, Jaeneen Cunningham says the partnership will help build awareness in the community.

“Each year we provide hundreds of nights of safety for women and children,” CEO Jaeneen Cunningham said, “And we have been doing this for seven years – long before most people in the community were even aware of the existence of coercive control.”

“The Calile Hotel will be a powerful ally for the Safe Haven Community to generate awareness and drive real social change.  Together we can explore new strategies that are beneficial in a way that is respectful to the perspectives and values held by both organisations.”

The Calile Charity Luncheon tickets are available to purchase here.
Online Auction prizes can be viewed here.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kristie Mancell
Sales & Marketing Manager, The Calile
+61 432 707 722 / [email protected]

Anna Magnus
+61 423 363 725 / [email protected]

ABOUT COLLECTION BY TFE HOTELS
Collection by TFE Hotels represent beautiful hotels hallmarked by authenticity and provenance, each designed with individual character and charm. With a collection of properties that encompass striking design and attention to the individual such as The Calile Hotel Brisbane, The Hotel Britomart in Auckland, Melbourne’s The Savoy Hotel on Little Collins and Hotel Kurrajong Canberra.