Melbourne Group Bags Award

The founders of a Melbourne-based charity have won the Australian Human Rights Commission Community Organisation Award for their work with the homeless.

Tony and Lisa Clark were presented with the award for their charity, Swags for the Homeless, which provides backpack swags to homeless people who have been turned away from shelters.

Swags for the Homeless was founded in 2007, when the couple designed the Backpack Bed, a lightweight, waterproof swag with an inbuilt foam mattress that folds into a backpack.

Salvation Army officers Paul Moulds said the swags were a priceless tool in the outreach efforts of the Salvos.

“It’s a grim reality that many people do not currently have access to safe or affordable housing and are living on the streets,” he said.

Mr Clark said he hoped the award would assist the organisation to gain more funding to continue its mission of supplying a Backpack Bed for every homeless person in Australia.

“It’s extremely gratifying to receive the Human Rights nomination and the other awards this year, however the real acknowledgement we need is from the government in terms of funding,” he said.

“We had to turn away 39 organisations this year pleading for our study-proven Backpack Beds due to a lack of funding, it’s heartbreaking,” he said.

Mr Clark estimated that it would take $2.1 million to produce enough Backpack Beds to assist the homeless across the country.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there are 16,735 homeless people in Australia, many of whom are unable to gain access to crowded shelters.

During the past year, 3000 Backpack Beds have been distributed to provide the homeless with warmth and protection.

The Community Organisation Award is the fourth award won by Swags for the Homeless in 2011. The organisation also won three product design awards, including the prestigious Red Dot “Best of the Best” award.