Australia’s leading mortgage broker, Aussie Home Loans, has announced a new partnership with food rescue charity, OzHarvest, as a National Major Partner.

The partnership agreement includes a substantial cash donation to support the charity, as well as programs in which Aussie’s more than 1,300 mortgage brokers and team members will fundraise for the charity.

The announcement comes shortly after Aussie’s Chief Executive James Symond took part in its flagship event, the CEO Cookoff, personally raising $111,000.

Mr Symond said “I was so impressed by OzHarvest’s mission, operation and team during my involvement in the CEO Cookoff that it inspired me to look at what long-term support Aussie could provide beyond this one event.

“This isn’t just about writing a cheque; though of course OzHarvest needs money to keep the wheels turning on their yellow vans. Importantly, we will be setting up programs so that our team across the country can get involved by volunteering, fundraising and taking part in OzHarvest’s ‘Cooking for a Cause’ events.

“Our brokers and franchisees will also be leveraging the strong connections they have in their local communities and with their customers to find new ways to support OzHarvest at the grassroots level,” Mr Symond added.

Ms Ronni Kahn, Founder and CEO of OzHarvest, said “We are so thrilled that one of Australia’s most dynamic organisations is formalising their support for us. Aussie is not only providing funding but is also creating opportunities for its team members across Australia to both volunteer their time and create their own fundraising programs and community connections to support us.”