Loris Harding has been supporting us through her company Taste Bud Tours for more than 3 years
Take your taste buds touring to support Royal Life Saving
Loris Harding has been involved in the tourism industry in Perth’s Swan Valley for 18 years now, when she started the Swan Valley Wagon Trails tour and learned just how amazing this part of Perth is.
Five years ago she started a new business, Taste Bud Tours, which takes tourists on a ‘speed grazing’ food tour of the Swan Valley, sampling a range of the food, wine, coffee and treats the region has to offer. Two tour options are offered – morning “Good Food, Wine & Cider” or afternoon “Good Food, Wine & Beer”. Loris conducts a morning tour on Wednesday and both morning and afternoon tours Friday, Saturday and Sunday, catering for up to 16 people in each session.
In 2011 Loris started supporting Royal Life Saving Society WA by taking our Quackers fundraising money ducks on her two tour buses and encouraging her patrons to make a donation. Loris says “It works really well, at the end of the tour I always tell people we’ve had an extra person travelling on board today, and they look around and notice Quackers high up on the wheelchair hoist. I then explain that if they have any loose change it would be great for them to pop some money in there to support Royal Life Saving.”
Soon afterwards Loris increased her support, by offering to provide a double tour voucher each month to businesses that support us by hosting a Quackers money box on their counter. Every month the business that raises the most money in their duck receives this tour voucher in thanks for their support.
This support, together with the money raised in her Quackers ducks, has seen Taste Bud Tours provide close to $5,000 worth of fundraising assistance to us over the past three years. Loris says it’s a pleasure to be able to assist “Royal Life Saving is such a valuable organisation. I’ve always been involved in some sort of sport, and when I was young I was part of a swimming club so understood the value of those who put their life on the line to help others in trouble. I also recognise how important it is to make sure our young people can swim.”
Last year Loris was recognised with an award at our AGM, receiving the President’s Award for her support of Royal Life Saving over the previous four years, for dedicating her time not only to fundraising for us, but also educating the community about the work we do.
Her business regularly receives tourism industry awards; most recently Taste Bud Tours received the Trip Advisor 2016 Certificate of Excellence for the high number of extremely positive reviews received by her business from those who’ve taken part in her tours.
Taste Bud Tours also recently became Royal Life Saving Society WA’s first Silver Affiliated Member, offering our individual members a 15% discount off tour bookings at the company. Anyone can become an Associated Member of Royal Life Saving by completing a membership form. Individuals also become members by volunteering for us, completing one of our training or first aid courses, supporting our fundraising programs through a donation or buying a raffle ticket, or participating in one of our sports competitions or events. Business organisations who support our fundraising work in the community are also Affiliated Members of the Society.
Loris says it’s a real pleasure for her to be a Silver Affiliated Member of Royal Life Saving, and offer a discount for our members. “I’m really glad to have a continuous relationship that’s beneficial to both parties and to Royal Life Saving’s members and my potential passengers. It’s really exciting, and I’m happy to be linked with an organisation like Royal Life Saving Society WA because it has merit and it’s good for the community.”
To find out more about the membership Benefits offered by Royal Life Saving Society WA, and valued supporters like Taste Bud Tours click the link below.
Membership is free and it only takes a few minutes to sign up online! Why not become a member today and enjoy all of the privileges that Royal Life Saving membership has to offer.
