Compass Pools Australia’s Proud Partnership with the McGrath Foundation

A brief overview of our Compass Pools & McGrath Partnership

Since 2016 we have proudly partnered with the McGrath Foundation as a way of giving back to the communities that have supported us for over 40 years. As a family business we wanted to make a difference and give back via a charity that focuses on helping families when they need it the most. The McGrath Foundation raises money to place specialist McGrath Breast Care Nurses across the nation, and are free for anyone diagnosed with breast cancer to access. With 55 people in Australia diagnosed with breast cancer every day, we all know somebody who has been affected. Whether it’s a mum, grandma, aunty, sister, partner or friend, the McGrath foundation is there to always ensure families have support when they need it the most.

Annually we pledge to donate over $150,000 to the McGrath Foundation. This commitment allows us to fully fund our very own McGrath Breast Care Nurse named Samantha Burns. We want to say a massive thank you to our customers, dealer network and our team for helping us give back to the community. We would not be able to sponsor Sam if it wasn’t for you all, and so from the bottom of our hearts- thank you!

Watch Tracy Bevan of the McGrath Foundation thank Compass Pools Australia for their ongoing support:

Pink Compass Pool shell to show our proud support of the McGrath Foundation

That’s why our pools are pink!

To show our support of the McGrath Foundation, we paint our Compass pool shells pink! We hope that when you see a pink Compass Pool coming down your street, you stop and think about the McGrath Foundation and remember to take your breast health into your own hands by checking yourself today. If you see a pink Compass Pool driving along, or if you have one in your backyard oasis, don’t forget to snap a photo and upload it to social media with the hashtag #PinkCompassPool. Your photo can help us spread the McGrath Breast Cancer Awareness message and help the Foundation ensure that no Australian ever has to battle breast cancer alone.

What does it mean to Compass Pools Australia to Fund a McGrath Breast Care Nurse?

To be able to fully fund a McGrath Breast Care Nurse fills us all with an immense amount of pride as we know how much of a difference their work makes in the community. For over 40 years we have been in the business of building backyard dreams and by being able to fund Samantha Burns, we can help give back and support Australian families when they need it the most. Most other McGrath corporate partners are big corporations, and as a family-owned business we feel pride in taking responsibility and stepping up to do our bit to give back to the community. By committing to fully funding a McGrath Breast Care Nurse, we can help the Foundation achieve their goal of ensuring no one in Australia ever has to go through breast cancer alone. Our McGrath partnership also allows our staff to come to work every day and feel as though they are a part of something much bigger. If you would like to help us give back to our communities through the McGrath Foundation, we encourage you to check out our ‘Ways to give to the McGrath Foundation’ news story on our website. Or head to the McGrath donation website for further details.

Effie stands with her Pink Compass Pool as it arrives at her home.

Compass Pool customer Effie and her pink Compass Pool:

The most important aspect of our McGrath partnership is being able to give back to our customers by assisting a Foundation that cares just as much about family as we do. Authorised Compass Pools dealer, Local Pools & Spas, recently created a backyard oasis for Effie who is currently fighting breast cancer. Effie and her partner Paul share part of their experience below.

“Thank you so much Local Pools & Compass for making our pool & spa dream a reality! To be fighting breast cancer during breast cancer awareness month (and within a pandemic) has been surreal and a challenging time. For this reason, we decided to build our own home resort. To know part of our ‘Pink Pool’ supports the McGrath Foundation for breast cancer who have helped me greatly in the past 12 months of my breast cancer journey is ever so special.” – Effie and Paul

Compass Pools Australia would like to say a massive thank you to the McGrath Foundation for doing what they do every day and going out and helping thousands of Australian families, like Effie and Paul’s every year! Thank you, and we are very proud to be your partner.

Meet Samantha Burns, our Compass Pools funded McGrath Breast Care Nurse

Our fully funded Compass Pools McGrath Breast Care Nurse named Sam operates out of the Bankstown, Southwestern Sydney area. As a McGrath breast care nurse, Sam plays a pivotal role in helping families navigate a confusing health care system while making sure that someone is by their side throughout every step of their breast cancer treatment.

McGrath Nurses, such as Sam are highly trained and experienced in providing tailored care and support for each of their patients and their families. This assistance can be physical such as providing dressing care after surgery or by helping patients with their bras or prosthetic fittings post amputation. Sam also provides emotional assistance by translating complex medical jargon, or simply by being there when a patient wakes up post-surgery. As a McGrath Nurse, Sam works closely with breast and plastic surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation teams, psychologists and social workers to ensure that all her patients’ needs are met. Her role also provides support to partners, children and family members of her patients. This can include helping them to understand the process of breast cancer treatment and being there for them during an often scary and confusing time.

Our McGrath Breast Care Nurse Sam is also passionate about providing breast cancer awareness education both to her fellow colleagues, her patients, the public and to herself. As part of her quest to have the most up to date information, Sam is a key member of breast cancer research teams- such as her recent participation in the team developing new cancer treatments for patients with diabetes. By staying up to date with the latest breast cancer information, Sam can provide the most current evidence-based practice and care to all her patients. Compass Pools Australia is very proud to sponsor Sam as our McGrath Breast Care Nurse and we proudly support all the hard work she does with McGrath.

Watch Sam thank Compass Pools for supporting her as a McGrath Breast Care Nurse:

How has COVID-19 Impacted Sam?

Like most of us, COVID-19 has impacted the way Sam works as a McGrath Breast Care Nurse. Due to the restrictions placed upon hospitals to remain COVID safe, Sam has had to treat her patients in full personal protective equipment (PPE), including wearing gowns, facemasks, face shields, gloves etc. This can often be quite confronting for her patients, especially as they were unable to have loved ones in treatment rooms due to the COVID-19 capacity requirements. As a nurse for the Bankstown Southwestern Sydney area, Sam’s health district covers almost 1 million people, with over half the districts population having a language other than English as their native tongue. This means that many breast cancer patients that Sam worked with during the pandemic often felt a sense of heightened anxiety due to the confusion caused from COVID-19 restrictions.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom! Due to the isolating nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sam and NSW health have quickly adapted to utilising technology more within their daily practice. Services such as telehealth or virtual doctor appointments have meant some patients don’t even have to leave their home to access the treatment they need. COVID-19 has meant that many changes had to occur in order to keep us all safe, including the way McGrath Breast Care Nurses such as Sam work. If you would like to help fund the important work McGrath do, then check out the McGrath donation page.

Check yourself today

According to the McGrath Foundation, due to stay at home measures from COVID-19, breast cancer diagnosis is down 37% in Australia in 2021 alone. This means that around 20 people per day are currently missing out on early breast cancer detection. Early detection is crucial, and the power is in your hands… literally! Take control of what you can during these strange times and look after your breast health today. The McGrath Foundation has released a campaign called ‘Look, Feel Learn’ encouraging people who ‘grow them, to know them!’. Discover how to check your breast health today by looking at the McGrath page here.

Other ways Compass Pools is helping the McGrath Foundation

Pool Give away at the Pink Test in Sydney

In January 2019, Compass Pools Australia gave away a pool at the Pink Test in Sydney. To enter the giveaway people had to purchase a ticket, and all the money raised went to the McGrath Foundation.

Pink Pool Party

In early 2020 Compass Pools encouraged all our customers to host a McGrath pink pool party to raise both funds and awareness for the McGrath Foundation. Even though this event was cut short due to the outbreak of COVID-19, we would like to thank everyone who hosted a party or was in the planning stages. We can’t wait to host another Pink Pool Party with you soon- fingers crossed for 2022!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2021

In October 2021, Compass Pools Australia celebrated Breast Cancer Awareness month by hosting a virtual Ladies Lunch with some of our female staff and dealers. Tracy Bevan, Diana Johnson and Samantha Burns of the McGrath Foundation joined us as we discussed all things breast health and McGrath. The aim of this lunch was to encourage all our female staff to take control of their breast health and check themselves today. It was a big success!