Collaborating to make a difference

In 2019, Cancer Council SA joined forces with Stratco to launch Stratco National Patio Day. A national campaign held on the first Saturday of summer, Stratco National Patio Day raises funds for Cancer Council while also educating Australians on the importance of sun protection whenever the UV is 3 and above. In its first year, Stratco National Patio Day raised over $250,000 for Cancer Council and saw the installation of numerous Stratco patios in homes across the country, providing valuable sun protection to Australian families. Stratco Group Chief Executive Officer Ben Miels shares why Stratco National Patio Day was such a success.

We originally came up with Stratco National Patio Day as a day of celebration, where Australians can gather under their Stratco Patio to mark the first Saturday of summer by celebrating with family and friends.

We were also keen to partner with a charity as we wanted to establish a day that was not only important in the Stratco calendar, but also a chance for Stratco as an organisation to give something back to the communities that support us.

Given that we manufacture and install beautiful Patio’s that provide shade to Australians we thought that a charity with skin cancer prevention at its core was the logical charity to collaborate with. Cancer Council seemed like the obvious choice. Not only do they support all Australians across every stage of their cancer journey, they also lead the way in sun protection prevention and education.

As a South Australian company, we reached out to Cancer Council SA and from the get-go, they were incredibly receptive and fantastic to deal with. Every single person we’ve dealt since that initial discussion has been incredibly passionate about the cause, which has galvanised our decision to work with Cancer Council and has also been a big factor in the campaign’s success.

Not only have Cancer Council SA been integral in supporting the campaign, they have also helped us to educate our people and our Authorised Outback Dealers on the importance of sun protection on the job. We have a responsibility to ensure that all of the people that work with and for us understand the importance of sun protection, so the education element was really important for us and the acknowledgement of sun protection behaviours is something that has continued long after the campaign finished.

We were delighted with the campaign’s success in its first year — it definitely exceeded our expectations. To see our whole business come together to support a worthwhile charity like Cancer Council is truly inspiring. It was particularly impressive the way our people and the network of Authorised Stratco Outback Dealers got on-board and raised money through their own initiatives. They were all only too happy to participate in such a worthwhile cause.

To know that all money raised through Stratco National Patio Day will fund critical research, prevention and support programs for all Australians impacted by cancer makes us proud as an organisation and we’re looking forward to continuing this successful partnership for years to come.

Registrations for Stratco National Patio Day are now open. To find out more and to register visit the Stratco website.