Savers Australia was presented with the inaugural Charity Partner of the Year Award at the Wounds Australia 2026 Conference in Adelaide this week.

The award recognises partners who share Wounds Australia's values and demonstrate a genuine commitment to improving lives and strengthening communities, and whose work helps us reach beyond the wound care sector. 

In presenting the award, Wounds Australia CEO Jeff Antcliff said it had been a genuine pleasure to work with Savers to improve lives. 

"Through its commitment to sustainability, community support and meaningful collaboration, Savers has been an outstanding partner," Mr Antcliff said. "Their support has helped us extend our reach and strengthen our work, and we're incredibly grateful for the relationship we've built together."

Supporting Wounds Australia through Savers

Our partnership with Savers provides an innovative way to support our work. 

At our partner Savers store in Marleston in Adelaide, members of the community can donate clothing and other items on behalf of Wounds Australia. Savers pays Wounds Australia for eligible donations collected through the partnership, generating funds that support our work to reduce the harm caused by wounds and supporting the reuse and recycling economy.

Additionally, instore signage and marketing delivers evidence-based wound care education and information about Wounds Australia's work direct to consumers, helping us spread awareness of the challenges of chronic wounds.

Meeting the needs of hard-to-reach communities

Mr Antcliff used his award speech to describe a unique collaboration that occurred in mid-2026. 

Wounds Australia was able to bring together Savers, Galaxy Enterprises and Textiles, and the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress ('Congress') to coordinate a donation of more than 330 pairs of high-quality preloved shoes and 600 pairs of new socks to people living in remote communities around Alice Springs (pictured). 

During a trip to Alice Springs in June 2025, Mr Antcliff learned from podiatrists at Congress – providers of comprehensive, culturally appropriate primary health care to communities across a million square kilometres of Central Australia – that access to affordable, appropriate footwear could be extremely limited. However, good quality closed-toed shoes can play an important role in protecting skin integrity and helping to prevent wounds and other complications. 

Mr Antcliff thanked the Savers team for their willingness to donate and deliver shoes from its Marleston store, saying the initiative reflected the deep commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable Australians that had earned Savers recognition as Wounds Australia's Charity Partner of the Year.