Bisinella Developments has once again stood behind Hope Bereavement Care at its annual fundraising breakfast, raising vital funds for the only grief support organisation dedicated to the Geelong region.

Held in August, the 2026 Sunrise Networking Breakfast took on a new shape, moving from a traditional sports-themed sit-down event to a business networking morning overlooking the bay, bringing a wave of new faces to the cause.

"It was encouraging to see so many new faces at this year's event," said Hope Bereavement Care Board Member Cam O'Keefe.

"Our annual breakfast fundraising event has become one of our biggest chances each year to generate the much-needed funds we need to support the organisation’s activities.”

Funds raised on the day will be spread across the many services Hope provides, from individual counselling to community education through initiatives like the Suicide Prevention Awareness Network (SPAN).

Mr O'Keefe said charitable financial support has become increasingly important in ensuring these services can continue to provide much-needed support at a time of high demand.

“Until around 18 months ago, Hope had never needed a waitlist for its services, but a number of well-publicised local deaths, including the loss of younger men to suicide, has driven demand sharply higher,” he said.

"Without the generous support of local businesses like Bisinella, we could not afford to have our professional counsellors on hand as first responders when grief is experienced suddenly and unexpectedly.

"With ongoing support from Bisinella and like-minded businesses, we've been able to better manage that waitlist and deal with spikes in demand when they occur."

As a not-for-profit that receives no government funding, Hope depends entirely on the community to keep its services running.

"The community’s support ensures compassionate, professional assistance remains available to individuals and families, while also contributing to the wellbeing and resilience of the broader community," Mr O'Keefe said.

“It's also important for Hope to be able to scale up the availability of our services if a major local tragedy affects those in our community.”

Bisinella Developments Managing Director, Richard Bisinella, said the company's support of Hope reflected a broader commitment to the Geelong community.

"Hope provides a service most of us hope we'll never need but are extremely grateful for when we do require grief and bereavement support,” Richard said.

“We've supported this important fundraising event for many years now, and it's a commitment we're proud to continue making."