Gallagher Australia has raised a total of more than $10,000 to assist rural areas contending with the worst drought in living memory, with the broker’s branch network all over Australia using a variety of creative ways to come up with the funds.

Fundraising efforts included Gallagher Dubbo’s client and local business donations, raffles, and baking sales, Newcastle-based Area Director Mark Bramley dyeing his silver hair blond, Gallagher Perth’s in-branch activities and auctioning of a pair of tickets to the AFL Grand Final, Gallagher Wollongong’s big breakfast cook-up for local businesses, and Gallagher Warragul’s “can drive” for affected farming communities.

Other branches held morning teas and dress-like-a-farmer days to raise funds for Aussie Helpers and Rural Aid's 'Buy a Bale' campaign, while Jason Fuller, general manager of corporate from Gallagher Perth, donated some 28 tonnes of hay bales, worth roughly $7,500, from his own WA farm to Rapid Relief’s Hay Drop campaign.

"We have a large number of rural clients all over the country and many of them have had a very difficult time in 2018,” said Sarah Lyons, Gallagher Australia chief executive. "The support from right across the Gallagher network has been incredible and I'm very proud of the response from the teams, who have pulled out all the stops to support our rural communities."