How it began ….

The Kennedy Foundation‘s been recognised as Australia’s media charity supporting media professionals in hardship since registration with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission on March 3rd, 2014.

The foundation was first established from humble beginnings in November 2013 thanks to the commitment and vision of Les' close friends and colleagues Adam Walters, Steve Barrett and the pro bono legal services of Sydney law firm Kennedys, organised by Racing NSW CEO Peter V'Landys.

The foundation became an official charity to provide financial and other supports to media representatives who had fallen on hard times due to illness, injury, grief and unemployment.

The foundation board moved to maintain its commitment to other charities such as the children’s cancer charity RedKite and the Aboriginal Medical Service - the then-incumbent beneficiaries of funds raised by the Kennedy Awards for Excellence in NSW Journalism.

Apart from staging the annual NRMA Kennedy Awards and associated events the foundation produced other fundraisers such as the Newsroom Battle of the Bands - raising $20,000 for former Channel TEN news director and Daily Telegraph reporter Kevin Hitchcock, who'd been battling painful quadriplegia since an accident more than 20 years earlier.

The foundation's charitable origins can be traced to a pub meeting in Sydney in February 2012 when those close to the late Les Kennedy - who had tragically died the previous year - hooked-up with his former editors, other colleagues and family to discuss a perpetual tribute.

They realised that while other states and territories had their own journalism awards there was nothing in NSW to recognise the achievements of news media pros in Australia’s most competitive news market. The Kennedy Awards was born and quickly went from strength to strength - attracting more than 500 and 600 entries a year from the finest journalists in Australia to become a truly national event.

A cold call to the makers of Les' fabled notepad led to the creation of the Spirax trophy, now a coveted symbol of quality Australian journalism - thanks to the incredible generosity of foundation sponsors ACCO Brands, formerly known as Pelikan Artline.