In the last 6 weeks Vic branch (who got a bit sidetracked) has sent:

The GO festival is a celebration of women of all ages. It's an opportunity to relax and explore what's new whilst enjoying a day off. Festival attendees are encouraged to bring along their unused bras to go into the Uplift Project collection container.

Girls Only (GO) Festival
Feb 16th & 17th 2013
Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton
Check out www.gofestival.com.au

The Bra Sorting Instructions have been revised and updated.
Click here download a printable PDF version of the Bra Sorting Instructions

The Zonta Club of Brisbane South are running a collection for Vanuatu.

People in the picture from left: Rolanda Ayling (President), Tiffany Cordwell - seated (Vice President), Leonie White, Dawn Andersen and Angela Yinn.

Check out the Zonta South Brisbane home page.

News from Canteen Creek, NT

We are receiving as many bras as we can manage. They are being sent off into quite a number of communities - with a Health Congress worker, and whenever ladies travel. The young teenagers love being able to find suitable bras. In our community the proceeds from the sale of bras have gone into buying materials for a sewing group. The ladies have made skirts, curtains, bags, shorts, and have started to bring their mending in as well. Our group has been asked to make aprons for the school and adult cooking programme. Ladies who sew for the first time are so thrilled with the results. So the bras have many benefits!

Fiji news from Naomi

Since we started picking up bras at the start of this year, we have distributed just over 3,000 bras to the ladies of Beqa Island, Fiji. There are 9 villages in Beqa with an estimated number of 900 women/girls. We took the bras to Beqa during the Easter holidays of this year, 2012, as this was the time my mother and my daughter were going to Fiji for their 3 months holiday. I had joined them for the first 2 weeks and personally fitted around 700 ladies with each lady receiving about 3-4 bras.

It was a humbling experience seeing the joy and happiness of each one of the recipients. There were lots of cries of happiness and thankfulness from the ladies. Even the men of the family came to express their gratitude as the ladies in their households are all happy and in turn leads to a happier homes.

We have around 1500 bras already shipped and waiting at our home in Suva. Around 2700 bras in our garage here in Sydney. We'll be shipping about 500 bras on Thursday 25/10/12. My mother and daughter are flying to Fiji on Saturday 27/10/12 for 2 months and will start distributing bras around the Serua/Nadroga region (Coast of Viti Levu). I'm hoping to send the rest of the bras before Chistmas.

Pictures from Beqa in the Gallery

Peta has been running the Uplift Project's NSW operations for the last three years. In early 2013, Peta and her family will be moving to the USA (once she gets stateside she'll be a Bra Recycling Ambassador). Peta will be leaving big shoes to fill when she vacates the role of NSW Co-ordinator. The Uplift Project is completely voluntary and relies on people who want to do something to make a difference in our part of the world. Peta is looking for a passionate person (or persons) to take over her role. To get in touch with Peta, send and e-mail to

We now have great a Uplift Project logo. Thanks to Lee Ussher, the Social Media Babe at BuzzWebMedia.com.au

Meaghan (the W.A. co-ordinator) has recently found an organisation to cover the transport of bras from metro Perth to the Kimberleys. Transport Women Australia Limited is the leading group representing women in the Australian transport industry. See www.transportwomen.com.au

A big thank you to Ann Markie from Bras N Things who contacted me regarding stock the company would like to donate. It was an incredible display of generosity. As there were so many cartons full of bras, sleepwear and knickers, I found it hard to get my head around how many items there were. I would say in the vicinity of 16,000.

There was only two days to pack the container before it left for the Philippines after picking up the large amount of donations from Bras N Things. Walter Bock from Rotary, his wife Franziska (who kindly provided cups of tea and very tasty cookies to my children - thank you!) and a handful of volunteers helped to ensure the packing was done so the container was full to capacity. The Bras N Things stock are is on their way to the Philippines.

Thank you to Bras N Things!

Peta Taylor-Smith
NSW Coordinator, Uplift Project

Cars and Bras - 29th April

Variety the Children's Charity stages Australia's craziest charity motoring event anually to raise funds for children who are sick, disadvantaged or have special needs. This year's event is the 2012 Balmain to Bamaga Bash. The team for Car 160 is having a fundraising event. On the day Robyn will be co-ordinating a big bra collection for Uplift Project So bring some pre-loved bras with you. The Brewery 350 Annangrove Road ROUSE HILL, NSW Sunday 29th April, 2012 10:00am - 4:00pm Face-painting, meat trays, raffles and lots more for an afternoon of fun for everyone. Contact: 0418447815 Sponsored by Magic Mosaics International www.magicmosaics.com.au Balmain to Bamaga Bash website http://2012nswbalmaintobamaga.gofundraise.com.au

A recent report from the Women of Langalanga Communities group by Rose Wale in Honiara, Solomon Islands.
Read the report "Solomon Islands Report of Bras Distributed - Jan 2012" (PDF - opens in new window).

Prevention Magazine March 2012 Uplift Project is featured in the article "Find New Homes for Everyday Items" (PDF - opens in new window).

Hawthorn Football Club's women's social club the Thornbirds have collected 500 bras, 330 pairs of undies, 60 swim cossies and some nappies. Definitely a premiership effort there, that's an Uplift record for undies! Now if the rest of the AFL got on the job...

My most regular visitors at the moment are young girls coming up to buy bras! They are so thrilled to be able to choose from so many lovely numbers! The word is out. We took 2 big bags-full over to Epenarra last night, and there was a definite level of excitement about those ‘women's things’.

A number of ladies have looked at the material you sent and are making plans for them. I'm off to Darwin for a week, and have a long list of things people want, including patterns and more material to make board shorts. The school has contracted us to make aprons for messy craft days.

5,000 tiny bras leave Melbourne today destined for orphans being raised in convents in Sri Lanka. And hopefully a few for the Nuns too!

Jenny the co-ordinator for south-western Victoria makes an appearance in the Ballarat Courier. Read the article 

80,000 new bras left Sydney for the Philippines.
12,000 new Intimo bras left Melbourne for Vanuatu.
2,500 bras plus swimwear and nappies arrived in Fiji.
60 new Bodywise and 60 new Diamond Cut bras went to Canteen Creek NT

Keep them coming!

Sister Dulcie Darcy, Assistant Director of Nursing at the National Referral Hospital in Solomon Islands writes:

The initiation of distributing bras to both maternity and mastectomy bras for National Referral Hospital came about when the ladies around Honiara together with the Project Up Lift came up with the plan.

On behalf of the National Referral Hospital I wish to sincerely thank 'Uplift Project' for identifying and working hard to meet the great needs for Solomon Island mothers who are unable to afford bras of their own.

Read Sister Darcy's complete report (PDF 430KiB)

Whew! It has been a very busy few months.

55,000 bras left Melbourne in July going to Red Cross Solomon Islands. Thanks, as ever, to Intimo for funding the shipping of that donation, and supplying half of the bras included. There is great anticipation in the Solomons.

A couple of hundred bras went to a rehabilitation centre in Sri Lanka, our first delivery to that country.

Peta in NSW is regularly supplying Rotary with bras, nappies, swimwear and shoes to go to the Phillipines. Keep them coming! Current photos on the Gallery page.

A few huge collections have occurred around the country, everywhere from Centro Tweed Heads NSW to Mooroolbark Secondary College in Vic. Article in Inspire Magazine June 2011

Our ACT branch under Carol and Jo is picking up steam, and has a facebook page up and a suitcase full of bras is headed for Bali, ex ACT.  http://www.facebook.com/Upliftbrascanberra 

The recipient of our Dec 2010 container to Fiji, World Harvest Church, made a video about the distribution, check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoNk7EJ0q3o 

We have just found out that Red Cross Vanuatu have free shipping available ex Melb, Syd, Bris and Auckland, and anyone who can contribute to sending bras from Bris or Auckland, please e-mail Liz at

We can't stand to waste the opportunity!

November saw 1,000 bras go out to the Cook Islands.

Our December 2010 container to Fiji is being unpacked and distributed at present.

We are collecting for a March container to Solomon Islands.

From Fiji Delivery:
I can update you on the 12 cartons of bras I took from your home last year. My mum is currently in the village Nayau-Lau group and they had their new church opening with the pews finally reached its final destination. All are happy and thankful for the bras - ladies from 8 villages. My mum will be hopping in the next ship bound for Suva next week and they will upload photos and e-mail me about the bra distribution. My mum said the ladies some of whom were 60-70 year old owned only 1 bra and it was like a dream come true when now they getting 5 each before they die.

A container is on its way to Fiji with 31,000 bras onboard.

300 bras were taken into Cambodia and distributed there by a Rotary team from Euroa way.

Contours Geelong East and Geelong West in Victoria collected 2,000 bras! Congratulations on a sustained campaign.

Plans are underway for a shipment to Solomon Islands.

NSW branch under Peta is collecting and donating to Rotarian Walter Boch for shipping to the Phillipines.

Three tourists have taken bras into Fiji with them lately and been surprised by the warmth of the thanks received.

The focus group study Uplift did in Fiji to gauge the worth of the program has been submitted to a research journal at last!

In response to requests we are broadening our collection. We now want any spare cloth nappies too!

We are planning to gear up next year - this one has been quiet.

We've been in touch with groups in other parts of the world that re-distribute pre-loved bras
UK  www.breasttalk.co.uk/bra-appeal 
US  www.brarecycling.com 

10,000 bras go from New Zealand to Vanuatu, the last of several such shipments, as Rachel our NZ coordinator is retiring.

Thanks to the 130 people who've posted bras to Vic office over Jan/ Feb 2010 - they're Cook Islands bound.

Thank you ( as usual! ) to our regular donor Intimo for the donation of 40,000 bras, and the shipping of same.

I asked/told a girl at the hotel about the bras and she pointed me towards a guy working there Ben and said that his wife had something or other to do with the village. I still don't know what role they had there but I went back to their place one afternoon and met all the family and half the neighbours. And as is tradition in Fiji, we sat out the back and drank kava. A few girls came around while I was there and they were all pretty excited and had a lot of fun with the bras. I showed them the website so they didn't think I was just a crazy person who travels the world with bras as an excuse to go to people's houses! Ben and his family are the ones in the village who sell ground up kava in little bags, so we went across to the market and bought kava roots and he had them ground up for me to take home. A few days later at the hotel he came up to say how grateful and happy all the people were in the village with the donation, and to say thank you.

A total of 217 cartons of brand new bras (clearly labelled and marked), were loaded onto the transport provided by Bayly Trust.

Tomorrow two matrons from the Colonial War Memorial Hospital will be here to receive the cartons of mastectomy and maternity bras.

All workman's boots have been presented to Volunteer Construction Workers involved in the construction of a new Primary and Secondary School blocks for Newtown School.

We have commenced opening all cartons for the purpose of Global Compassion Distribution throughout Fiji.

May we express to you our HEARTFELT GRATITUDE and DEEP APPRECIATION for your very kind gesture towards the donation of a 40-foot container filled with women's bras, assorted lingerie and shoes. This is indeed a great blessing to women from all walks of life throughout the nation of Fiji.

We write to confirm that we (Bethany Assembly of God, 391 Grantham Road, Suva) have taken delivery of l00 boxes of bras as a donation yesterday 19 Jan.20l0 from Bayly Trust, Suva. All these will be distributed by the women's group of our church to women who were victims of the recent floods, women living in HART Homes (poor relief homes) and those living in squatting areas. Once each of these distributions is complete, we will be e-mailing you the photographs.

Once again we want to say thank you very much indeed to you and your management for your hard work, generosity and the untiring contributions to the communities of the world needing assistance. Please convey our appreciation to all those involved in a work well done and deserving a BIG vinaka vakalevu. God bless you indeed.

Since the December shipment another 3,000 second hand bras have arrived at Uplift Vic. Most of these should go to the Cook Islands shortly.

Some bras recently went into Tonga from Western Australia. We received the message below:

Hi Maxine and Collin,

We had a bra bazzar when I got home the women helped to sorted them out into sizes and colours. I also allowed the six women including me to take 2 bras each for them. The 4 families that just arrived from tonga and nz have teenage girls also took 2 bras each. They think you're the best ever person to think of them, I told them that are purposely meant for Tonga to the South Island that were affected by the tsunami, and one of them took her top off and showed me her bra and she said, "Well look at me and what I wear, do you think this (pointing to her bra) kind of bra should be worn by someone that live in Australia? My father can't buy one for me, I have to use my mum's bra." I felt so sorry for her and her other sisters. So they were over the moon with the 2 bras each that they took. They will be send on air cargo unaccompanied laggage 2 or 3 days before the 25/1. I will send you the copy of my letter so if we can keep this going because it's another way of bringing breast cancer awareness to schools, plus educating the communities on checking and treating anything at the possible earliest time.

A BIG "THANK YOU" from Opie and me plus the women of Beth Shalom and thank you for thinking of us.

With kind regards and God bless you both.

Kalo.

A 40 foot container of bras was shipped to Fiji, courtesy of our ever-reliable Intimo. It contained 35,000 Intimo bras and 21,000 second hand bras. The bras will be distributed by World Harvest Church & Bayley Welfare, with nursing bras going to hospitals and mastectomy bras going to the Cancer Society. This shipment cleared the Melbourne stockpile - at least for a week or so...

65,000 bras were sent to PNG, and 90,000 to Fiji, both shipments from Victoria.
Many thanks to Swire Shipping for the donation of the shipping of the PNG container.

HUGE thanks to Swires who shipped our PNG container as a donation. Thanks to Red Cross PNG for receiving the container and sharing it with YWCA. Thanks to the many volunteers who sorted, boxed and stacked bras, and packed the container, and to the numerous people who provided storage on their own properties for the bras awaiting dispatch.

The ladies of the Fijian Church in Melbourne joined Uplift in preparing Intimo stock for shipment to Fiji. It is really great to have Fijian faces present, and we look forward to working together in future.

Thanks to Intimo, Uplift has shipped its first full container of bras! 65,000 bras, 17,000 of which are Intimo bras, are en route to PNG. The stockpile is nearly clear.

Hi Ladies,

Just a wee note to up date you on the bras that were sent to Madang Red Cross via the DIK Rotary container.

It has been a slow distribution but think it is better to wait and get the goods to where they should be. Transport to the highlands regions of the Madang province doesn't happen very often.

Bras have been sent to the upper Ramu area through Soroptimists who have a very small branch at the Ramu sugar settlement. Though small they are getting out into the rural areas with appropriate health and childcare programs. They have promised me photos but I am not holding my breath.

The Country Women's Association in Madang has a very active village birth attendants program. They supervise the distribution of hundreds of birthing kits to their attendants and they are distributing the bras with them.

We have a large settlement of displaced people from Manam Island up our North Coast. Some of the women call on me on a regular basis and they usually leave with a supply of bras.

They are all but gone.

Thank you,
Best wishes.
Maureen Hill.
President Red Cross Madang Branch.

Thank you to Cosmopolitan Bar Wantirna Rd, Wantirna Vic., who generously hosted a recent Uplift event. The food was great, and may we recommend their "Bra"ileys Jaffa:
    30ml Baileys,
    15ml Butterscotch Schnapps,
    15ml Cointreau/triple sec,
    30ml milk
    shake over ice.

A Best Bra Stories competition was run on the night. Some of the favourites are below:

"Sitting in a business meeting, being the only female, looking down & realising one underwire had worked its way up and was sticking out like a claw from the top of my shirt."

As a very shy 12 year old I was also very flat. When I finally discarded a "training bra" I was horrified to walk past my father's veggie patch (clearly visible from the street) to find he had used it to tie up his tomatoes.

I woke up one morning while on a cruise ship only to be unable to locate any of my bras and undies. All of them were tied to the mast at the bow of the ship flying freely next to the American flag. What started as a prank finished with 3 people in trouble for what the Americans declared defacing their flag.

Middle daughter always teasing her brother. This day she took it too far by breaking his finger. She woke up the next day to find all her bras and pants hanging from on the street signs of Rowville.

"Hot day, decided to put bra in the freezer. In the middle of the day the bra thaws and who has a wet shirt?"

Dear Virgina,

Thank you! Thank you ! Thank you! I am so please to hear from you again. I have open up the boxes for the bras especially, I do not sell them, but communities has come to collect for themselves.

Women around Government station and other villages has come for their taste and they like it very much. I have given out over 100 bras already and am still giving out.

"We have them here in the office. It is timely as we have our local associations from five different provinces here for a training session. They are from Lae, Goroka, Simbu, Tabubil and Ramu amd we are packing the bras for them to take to their provinces and distribute to the women there".

"I have a friend who is working at the Oro Hospital and we gave her some to take yesterday to distribute to the women who travel in from outlying areas (the patients and their carers.) I will send you a report and some pictures as I gather information".

Victoria. Intimo have donated a truckload (literally) of clothing, and the shipping funds to get it to Fiji. One saturday soon, Uplift volunteers will be removing plastic packaging before dispatch. More volunteers welcome, e-mail

Maxine in WA has bras going to Zimbabwe: "The great need in the villages is for underclothes for the women and found it hard to believe that I could offer them 25,000 ready to roll - so to speak. We haven't talked costs yet, but I guess that we should put in some."

Kate in NSW:
Today we packed 45 boxes of bras - that's approx 5000, only another 15000 to go. 10 people attanded, one of the guys was 84yrs old. 6 from Rotary, another 4 from drop off points through out Sydney.

Reporting from Tasmanian collection, Lew advises that they have 2500 sorted and packed with a few hundred in Hobart to be sorted. All this will be sent in the Tas. Container early April. Anticipate May arrival. We are also sending flood relief clothing etc. to Fiji

NSW coordinator Kate is having a sorting day on the 21st March from 9am-4pm. All welcome. Contact Kate at

An American decided to write a book about famous churches around the world. He bought a plane ticket and took a trip to Orlando, thinking that he would start by working his way across the USA from South to North.

On his first day he was inside a church taking photographs when he noticed a golden telephone mounted on the wall with a sign that read '$10,000 per call'.

The American, being intrigued, asked a priest who was strolling by what the telephone was used for. The priest replied that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 you could talk to God.

The American thanked the priest and went along his way.

Next stop was in Atlanta. There, at a very large cathedral, he saw the same looking golden telephone with the same sign under it. He wondered if this was the same kind of telephone he saw in Orlando and he asked a nearby nun what its purpose was.

She told him that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 he could talk to God. 'O.K., thank you,' said the American.

He then travelled all across America , Africa, England , Japan , New Zealand. In every church he saw the same looking golden telephone with the same 'US$10,000 per call' sign under it...

The American decided to travel to Papua New Guinea to see if fuzzy wuzzys had the same phone.

He arrived in POM city and again, in the first church he entered, there was the same looking golden telephone, but this time the sign under it read '40c per call.'

The American was surprised so he asked the priest about the sign. 'Father, I've travelled all over the world and I've seen this same golden telephone in many churches. I'm told that it is a direct line to Heaven, but in all of them the price was US$10,000 per call. Why is it so cheap here?'

The priest smiled and answered, 'You're in PNG now, son - it's a local call!'

With the assistance of Design Central (our webhosting provider) we can now accept Visa and Mastercard donations toward the cost of shipping. Donated funds are used by the Rotary Club of Geelong "Donations in Kind" program to assist with shipping costs.  Click here to make a donation  (This link opens the Donations page at Design Central in a new window) 

The New Zealand branch of Uplift sent 8,000 bras to Vanuatu, a sensational result, congratuations Rachel.

Liz and Lorraine featured on Richard Aedy's ABC Life Matters program today. The mp3 podcast is available for listening or download from the  ABC Radio National website 

Uplift supplied 4,000 bras to fire relief bases in Victoria.

Read Lorraine's and Linda's  Papua New Guinea YWCA 2008 report 

Rotary Geelong DIK have shipped 8,000 bras, which should be in Fiji on 15th December, in time to make a less sweaty summer for a few thousand women!

Thank you to the folks from the USA who have posted bras direct to Fiji. The Fijian Women's Society have them in hand. Bras have been distributed to all the schools up the Sigatoka river.

The October 2008 Tasmanian shipment to Fiji has been distributed as follows.

• 20 boxes were delivered to Soqosoqo Vakamarama in Suva
• 13 boxes went to Sala Koroi, a long time distributer for Uplift. Sala said bras would be distributed in villages with the help of some of the mothers at her school. She will report back to Rebecca when she finished.

A Koroipita "Bra Day" was held by Rebecca Beisler (an AVI volunteer) ably helped by Ana (house number 34) and another willing helper and AVI volunteer, Connie. Rebecca reports it was a very successful day with 103 very happy women taking home bras (see photo). Rebecca will probably hold another "Bra" day to ensure those women who weren't able to come the first day will be assured of getting bras. Any balance will be distributed amongst three or four other villages where Rebecca is aware of a need.

Maxine Jones, the retiring S.A. Co-ordinator thanks the Adelaide team for a magnificent effort at the Final Big Bra Sort. The team Aileen, Sissy, Wendy, Ursula, Jo, Joanne, Paula, Marjorie and lone male Graham sorted 10,639 bras in a single morning. That's 79 cartons making up 5 pallets. The total weight was a hefty 828 kilograms.

View the photos in the Gallery

Plus 1 carton of spare parts and bras needing repairs - not counted.

Thank you all. Further collections will be accepted from mid 2009.
Small donations can still sent to the listed addresses but our garages are overflowing...

In October, Tasmania alone sent 5,000 bras to Fiji - a massive effort.
2,000 went from Melbourne to PNG, and a further 1,700 to Fiji.

Bras are wanted in Rwanda. Our fledgeling UK collection may go there.
Red Cross in Cook Islands have asked for bras, we just need to get them there...

Total bras packed now totals 3500 after Lew and Jan sorted and packed 850 odd on Saturday - Lew delivering to Hobart to container this week - expect Muriel in Hobart will also have some more to pack and deliver to container (not sure how many yet).

Bras are flowing in. The donations have come from Zonta, lingerie businesses, Rotary partners, Inner Wheel groups, St Vincent de Paul, ladies hairdressers and the general public all over the State. It is looking like the Rotarians will be sending their container to Fiji mid September and it is anticipated it should arrive around about the end of the first week in October.

Kristy continues to have enquiries from Rotary clubs around the state wanting to help, along with 2 Intimo consultants and an Undercover Wear consultant wanting to start collecting at lingerie parties. Transport from Queensland to Vanuatu, PNG or Fiji is still needed.

The Big Bra Sort - sorted and boxed 11,000 bras, which are now making their way to Melbourne en route to Fiji and PNG.
View the photos in the Gallery

We now have regular shipments going into PNG. The first leaves in 4 weeks.

Bras were well received in Tonga, and more would be appreciated, if anyone knows of available transport we'll send them.

1,000 bras are on their way to Tanna Island, Vanuatu.

Rotarians have started Uplift collections in Tasmania and New Zealand. We need an Uplift coordinator for both places, anyone feeling brave? Good with e-mail?

11 members of the Smith and Baker families, including Liz's family, will be in Fiji for two weeks in July. We will be meeting the Bra distribution team, and handing out some Fayreform & Intimo lingerie. While there, Liz is undertaking a pilot study of the health effects of wearing bras among women who have received bras from the project.

Bras went into a nursing home in Lautoka yesterday, and caused lots of smiles. The manager said the next thing they need are specs and pacemakers for the blokes because the women look so good.

Also, bras went to all the staff of the Lautoka Hotel in Viti Levu. The manager asked what Heather had been doing as he had never seen the staff so happy. Many of the uniforms however no longer button up across the front properly...