USING OUR SKILLS FOR GOOD
Giving back to those around us has been an integral part of McCorkell for years.
We’re all about community. From the day Sam McCorkell founded the business in 1928, we’ve been supported and backed by people who believe in us. With that support, we’ve been able to grow into the builders we are today. Our community has always been there for us – so we’ve made sure we’re always there for them.
Over the years, we’ve supported a range of organisations including not-for-profit entities and social enterprises. Tapping into our creative side, we’ve also been lucky enough to work on philanthropic projects in the art community space and even directly with government bodies such as Creative Victoria.
Helping others has always been important to us – but we do things a little differently than most, we like to take a more active approach. At McCorkell, we have a unique skillset and decades of experience to offer, so we provide hands-on services and advice either pro-bono or on non-commercial terms to positively impact our community.
A FEW OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS
Streat
Tastes good. Does good.
Tackling youth homelessness and disadvantage, Streat is a social enterprise making a real difference. They to provide young people in need with education, training and all-important work opportunities in the hospitality industry – and their catering services never fail to disappoint.
Our involvement with Streat began with the construction of their first café at Melbourne Central, soon followed by their new headquarters in Cromwell St, Collingwood. This ambitious and creative space houses their main office, training and resource centre, café, catering business, bakery and coffee roastery.
Collaborating with other building industry consultants, subcontractors and suppliers along the way, we were able to provide at-or-below-cost building services to bring CEO Bec Scott’s ideas to life. Streat’s vision is still growing, and we’re excited to work on future projects with them.
Zumalai Water Project
East Timor
After completing a project at Our Lady of Mount Carmel church in Middle Park, Victoria, we learned of the Carmelite Order’s plans to develop a sanitary water reticulation system in Zumalai, a village in the southwest region of Timor-Leste. However, they did not have the experience or skills needed to bring those plans to life – so we stepped in to lend a hand.
McCorkell’s directors, Howard and Damien, visited the village in 2010 to complete the roof plumbing on the local school and community buildings. The following year, our site managers made the trip to complete the reticulation works, also running a program to teach the locals to properly operate the new system.
For a village without access to clean drinking water, this project was life-changing for the locals. The result has been successful harvesting and storage of reliable drinking water, reticulated to the school and community buildings. We were grateful to be able to take our construction skills across continents to work on such a fulfilling project.
Sculpture Relocation
Heidi Museum of Modern Art
Moving Andrew Burns’ sculpture “Crescent House” was no easy feat – the pro-bono project involved a careful piece-by-piece deconstruction before relocating it to Heide Museum of Modern Art’s gardens and sculpture park in Melbourne.
Crafted with over 1,000 pieces of timber, we had to gently remove, number and store each piece for relocation. Once the deconstructed sculpture arrived at Heide, our team was standing by to piece the sculpture back together, bringing it back to its former glory.
Our partnership with Heide MOMA has continued to this day, with McCorkell constructing their café and recently restoring the Old Doll’s House that sits in the Heide 1 Gardens.
Collingwood Yards
Precinct Redevelopment
Located on the site of the former Collingwood TAFE, Collingwood Yards is a sprawling array of buildings and outdoor space. The project involved converting the existing heritage listed Collingwood Technical School into a supportive hub for small-to-medium creative organisations and individuals.
Part of the project from the very beginning, we collaborated with key stakeholders including the CAP Board of Management and Creative Victoria, providing consulting services during the design development phase.
Collingwood Yards was a lengthy yet rewarding project, with years of work finally reaching completion in 2020. The project was a major success and Collingwood Yards is now a world-class destination for creative industries and a vibrant meeting place for the local community.
On behalf of the board, CAP is delighted to express our great appreciation and formally acknowledge the McCorkell Brown Group as a key partner for the incredible contribution that their stellar team have made to reinvigorate these abandoned halls into a place for artists and arts organisations to work, collaborate and build community.”
Daniel Besen
Chair in the Board of Directors
COLLINGWOOD YARDS
GET IN TOUCH
Do you have a philanthropic partnership in mind? Drop us a line.