Goldfields Women's Refuge chief executive Mandy Reidy and Norton Gold Fields project manager Geoff Paterson. Credit: Carwyn Monck/Kalgoorlie Miner

Contractors working on Norton Gold Fields’ new Binduli North heap leach project used their skills for charity on Friday by constructing and donating bicycles for children affected by domestic violence.

Ten teams representing contracting companies competed to build bicycle kits which, unknown to them, were to be donated to the Goldfields Women’s Refuge at Finlayson House.

The competition was facilitated by Norton Gold Fields with points awarded for speed and quality of construction.

Norton Gold Fields project manager Geoff Paterson said the bicycle build project provided an opportunity for contractors involved with the construction of the heap leach project to give back to their local community through a team-bonding exercise.

“We kept it a secret to the guys because we wanted to surprise them. Today was all about telling them about the gift of giving, and what that’s like to do something good for a local charity by using construction project support,” he said.

“We decided to set it up as a schedule and quality type deliverable that we normally work with in projects, so there’s a parallel between this exercise and what we do in construction.”

Norton Gold Fields held an opening day for the new $278 million project site 10km west of Kalgoorlie-Boulder this month, with the company expecting first gold this quarter.

Mining contractors put their skills to the test during Norton Gold Fields bicycle build charity event. Credit: Carwyn Monck/Kalgoorlie Miner

Norton Gold Fields also donated $87,700 to local charities and organisations during the event.

Goldfields Women’s Refuge chief executive Mandy Reidy attended the competition to surprise competitors with the real meaning behind the event.

Ms Reidy said the donations will provide an avenue for joy in the lives of disadvantaged children at the refuge.

She said while the centre was funded through the Department of Communities, donations from community organisations and mining companies were vital to improving the lives of the women and children residing at the GWR.

“They struggle a lot through life to and they generally come with nothing to the refuge (so) we rely on donations, we rely on the kindness of the community,” she said.

“The Kalgoorlie community, (especially) mining companies are just fantastic to us and Norton Gold Fields has been wonderful.”

Ms Reidy said many contracting companies approached her on the day to offer additional support for the refuge.

“Fabulous things come out and are built from just an initiative like this and it’s just taken off to be a wonderful thing,” she said.

Mining contractors put their skills to the test during Norton Gold Fields bicycle build charity event. Credit: Carwyn Monck/Kalgoorlie Miner

Source: Kalgoorlie Miner