Our History
When Belinda Seaton and her daughter Kristy-Lee moved from busy city life to the Northern Rivers Region of NSW in the 1990s, little did they know it would become their haven for the next three decades. Welcomed quickly by the community, they settled into a much quieter life surrounded by pristine tropical beaches and lush native forests, all under the watchful presence of the magnificence of Mt Warning.
Belinda's father, Don Seaton, a forthright successful businessman and environmentalist, was also a quiet, unassuming and generous philanthropist who supported many local causes. While he chose to keep these pursuits to himself, the famous American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote 'the apple does not fall far from the tree'. All through her life, Belinda has been deeply drawn to charitable causes and volunteerism. This has naturally influenced Kristy-Lee, who grew up witnessing her mother's altruism, generosity of spirit, and readiness to give.
Together it was only natural that they both began to discover many essential causes that needed support in their new community of choice. Driven by the genuine desire to help others and give back to their community, they became involved with their first fledgling forays. This developed many years later into a fully functioning foundation.
As Belinda and Kristy-Lee learned about more the Northern Rivers regional communities, they also learned more about the gaps across the region that needed support, from small teams struggling to support troubled teens to animal welfare groups. Over time other gaps identified included the local sporting team challenges with equipment; intergenerational activities critically unstaffed; cultural performance event and venue issues; and momentum loss for time-critical environmental activities to name just a few. Belinda and Kristy-Lee Seaton repeatedly saw a significant lack of funding for critical programs delivered to their community.
Driven by Belinda and Kristy-Lee's desire to extend support across their community, the Seaton Foundation was established in 2014. The foundation is soundly guided by a diverse board of dedicated people focused on seeing good intentions become significant and sustainable change. The board comprises family members and independent directors, all passionate advocates of the foundation and genuinely committed to enhancing the lived experience of people and advancing community capabilities across the Northern Rivers Region in New South Wales.