The Lyone Foundation has committed $35,000 to Coolamon Community, Deadly Runners and Woganurra Aboriginal Corporation following The Funding Network Australia’s First Nations Crowdfunding Event on 12 November 2025.
The funding will support culturally safe maternal and infant care, First Nations running and leadership programs, and the protection of Aboriginal cultural knowledge and language.
How COS supports the Lyone Foundation
The Lyone Foundation was established by the Lyone family in 2013 to formalise COS’s commitment to giving back to Australian communities.
COS contributes 1% of its total annual revenue to the Foundation. This ongoing commitment helps the Foundation support grassroots organisations delivering practical and lasting outcomes in their communities.
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Funding at a glance
- $15,000 to Coolamon Community to provide culturally safe baby essentials and strengthen support for Aboriginal mothers and babies.
- $10,000 to Deadly Runners to help establish a trail-running event that creates community leadership and employment opportunities.
- $10,000 to Woganurra Aboriginal Corporation to support refurbishment of the Goondee Aboriginal Keeping Place in Lightning Ridge.
Collective giving for community-led change
Members of the Lyone family, Mara and Casimir Lyone, attended the event, which brought together individuals, businesses and philanthropic leaders to support grassroots organisations working directly with their communities.
The Funding Network Australia connects donors with grassroots organisations through storytelling, shared learning and collective giving. Its model gives participating organisations access to funding, skills, networks and greater visibility.
Beyond the money raised on the night, TFN events are designed to create lasting relationships and sustained momentum for the organisations involved.
By participating in this collective giving model, the Lyone Foundation was able to support three organisations that are deeply embedded in their communities and guided by lived experience.
Together, these investments reflect a shared belief that meaningful and lasting change follows when communities are resourced to lead their own solutions.
Coolamon Community
The Foundation’s largest contribution of $15,000 was directed to Coolamon Community, a First Nations-led charity supporting Aboriginal mothers and babies in regional and remote communities.
Working alongside trusted Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and health services, Coolamon Community provides culturally safe baby-care bundles known as The Coolamon. Each bundle includes a safe sleep space, baby essentials, books, toys and other affirming resources.
Health workers gift the bundles to mothers during pregnancy or early parenting, helping support dignity, connection and early engagement with trusted health services.
The Lyone Foundation’s contribution will help Aboriginal Health Services in communities including Katherine and Karratha provide more Coolamons. It will also support the growth of Coolamon Baby, the organisation’s social enterprise.
This investment will strengthen infant health and wellbeing while helping build sustainable support for families and communities.
Deadly Runners
A further $10,000 was donated to Deadly Runners, a mob-led organisation delivering free, culturally safe running and leadership programs.
Since 2023, Deadly Runners has supported more than 160 participants, helped 25 community members gain accredited qualifications and created employment opportunities for Aboriginal staff.
Its programs use running to build confidence, resilience and pride while creating pathways to leadership and participation in local, national and international events.
The Foundation’s contribution will help establish the first trail-running event in a planned annual series. Designed to connect people to Country, the event will bring community members and allies together while creating employment and leadership opportunities for local coaches.
The initiative is also expected to generate recurring revenue that can expand opportunities for First Nations communities beyond race day.
Woganurra Aboriginal Corporation
The final $10,000 contribution was made to Woganurra Aboriginal Corporation, an organisation grounded in the legacy of Elders Aunty June and Uncle Roy Barker.
Centred around the Goondee Aboriginal Keeping Place in Lightning Ridge, Woganurra serves Yuwaalaraay, Gamilaraay, Yuwaaliyaay, Murrawarri and Gomeroi communities.
Its work safeguards cultural collections, shares history and delivers education that supports intergenerational knowledge transfer, community pride and language revitalisation.
The contribution will support essential refurbishment of the Goondee, Lightning Ridge’s first Aboriginal museum. The work will help make the facility climate-resilient, functional throughout the year and better equipped to meet growing demand from local families, schools and visitors.
The improvements will protect precious collections, expand truth-telling and language programs, and create training and employment opportunities, particularly for young people.
Continuing COS’s commitment to community
Through COS’s ongoing support of the Lyone Foundation, we are proud to help community-led organisations turn local knowledge and lived experience into lasting change.
Learn more about the Lyone Foundation and its connection with COS.
