Community

Chain Reaction Foundation

Chain Reaction – The Ultimate Corporate Bike Challenge – raises money for sick children by challenging senior executives who have a passion for cycling and an awareness of their corporate and social responsibilities, to ride a 1000km+ course in seven days.

Since the first ride in 2007, Chain Reaction has raised more than $23 million on behalf of its charity partners. As a result of these fundraising efforts Chain Reaction has been able to make a significant difference to the following children’s charities:

• Starlight Children’s Foundation;
• aeiou Foundation;
• Ronald McDonald House;
• Hummingbird House;
• Youth Advocacy Centre; and
• The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute.

Gowdie Management Group principal John Gowdie, first took part in the Chain Reaction one-day ride from Mt Tamborine to Brisbane in 2010. The following year he took part in the inaugural Chain Reaction Queensland Corporate Bike Challenge, riding 1000km in seven days from Forster on the NSW Central Coast to Brisbane.

The company has fielded a team in this charity ride every year since and looks forward to the challenge and being able to contribute to this great cause. John’s personal association with the Chain Reaction Foundation has helped to raise more than $200,000 for the sponsored charities.

Aspirations4Kids in Sport (A4K)

Aspirations4Kids in Sport Ltd (A4K) is dedicated to helping Queensland children aged from 10 to19 who want to take part in school sports programs at a representative level but are restricted by their ethnicity, disability, hardship or lack of education. Community funding and support allows A4K to provide these young Queenslanders with the resources and opportunities to fulfill their potential in sport regardless of their circumstances. Gowdie Management Group values the importance of investing in our Queensland students and strongly believes that sport can positively shape young lives.

Jayco Herald Sun Tour

On February 1, 2017, Gowdie Management Group principal John Gowdie took part in the Jayco Herald Sun Tour Chain Reaction Challenge Corporate Cup, raising funds for sick children.

Founded in 1952, the Jayco Herald Sun Tour is Australia’s oldest cycling stage race. It is a major professional teams-based event which includes some of the best cyclists from Australia and around the world, providing a platform for up-and-coming Australian riders to race against the world’s best.

The 2017 challenge involved 24 corporate participants competing in an individual time trial just before the elite riders. John was one of the 24.

SoCLA's Great Debate 2016

On June 16, 2016, Gowdie Management Group participated in the Society of Construction Law Australia’s (SoCLA) Great Debate, hosted in Brisbane by MinterEllison’s projects team. SoCLA is a national organisation, whose members are drawn from the construction industry and the legal profession who have a mutual interest in construction law.

One of our project directors, Andrew Davis, teamed up with Melissa Storey Scott and James Green, to go head-to-head with the opposing team to argue that the best place for a construction contract is the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet.

This light-hearted and witty debate provided a great opportunity for our SoCLA committee members Sam Dryhurst, Luke Thomas and Henri Thorsen to showcase our commitment to industry best practice. It was a an enjoyable evening addressing one of the many issues that encompass the subject of construction law: the importance of construction contracts in the industry.

CanTeen Charity Golf Day

Gowdie Management Group was a proud hole sponsor at the CanTeen Charity Golf Day which raised almost $26,000 at Nudgee Golf Course on Friday, May 6, 2016. CanTeen helps young people aged between 12 and 24 who have been affected by cancer, either personally or via other family members, providing critical support and networking services. The Gowdie team looks forward to supporting this worthy charity again in the future.