[Photo: Supplied]

An Australian based group consisting of more than 500 former Fiji citizens have donated over $13,000 to assist families affected by COVID-19.

FijiLIFE Gold Coast is a community of former Fijians, including their spouses, partners, family, and friends, who grew up together and went to schools in Fiji from the late 1940’s to early 1980’s.

The members live around Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, United States, England and Ireland.

One of the founders, Mike Gosling says they had organized events to raise funds to assist Fijians however these events were cancelled.

However, he says following the cancellation , 27 members saw it as an opportunity to help fellow Fijians directly and donated their event fees with the FijiLIFE committee additional funding, bringing total donations to Fiji charities to $13,890.

These funds have been donated to four charities in Fiji to assist in basic food provision and other support of needy families experiencing hardship due to the COVID health crisis.

This include J P Bayly Trust, Make A Difference Fiji, FijiKids Learning for Lifeand Fiji Society for the Blind.

Apart from this through the FijiLIFE Foundation they will raise funds for frontline organisations working to provide refuge, nourishment, training, medical aids and equipment, women’s economic security, and a happy and better future for disadvantaged people in Fiji.