I would like to offer a sincere thank you to readers who gave to The Smith Family’s Winter Appeal.

In recent times, charities have been significantly impacted by the rise in the cost of living, affecting the number of donors able to give, while increasing the number of those needing support. The Smith Family has certainly been no exception to that trend.

In terms of donations, we were facing a 40 per cent shortfall with just a few weeks remaining during our Winter Appeal. But thankfully, we were very fortunate to receive some generous support from the public and our fundraising target was reached.

Donations from supporters will make a world of difference to 17,200 students experiencing disadvantage. Each will be able to receive the extra help they need during the final terms of school this year.

Our ability to deliver our flagship education support program Learning for Life, that assists almost 63,000 young Australians nationwide, depends on your donations. And they really do make a difference.

Just this week we received an email from a student to the people who had sponsored her through Learning for Life. She had had just graduated with a Bachelor of Science and was writing to thank them.

“Please accept my sincere gratitude for your belief in my potential and for your unwavering support throughout my educational journey and believing in us students that need the extra support,” she wrote.

“Your generosity has inspired me to strive for excellence and to give back to others in the community.”

This is a real demonstration of how education enables children experiencing disadvantage to create opportunities that change their future and equips them with the tools and knowledge to successfully navigate our increasingly complex world.

Thank you again to all those who supported The Smith Family.

Doug Taylor

CEO of The Smith Family