Community Bank Wentworth and District Scholarship
In cities across Australia, children sit in classrooms, raised to believe in the possibilities but for some of their counterparts, sitting in the classrooms of far west New South Wales and northwest Victoria, the possibilities remain frustratingly out of reach. It was this understanding of the challenges faced by regional and rural young people that inspired the Community Bank Wentworth and District to team up with the Chances for Children Foundation.
The Bank has been a Sustaining Supporter of the Chances Foundation since it first began but after over a decade of donating, the Bank, then chaired by David Dawes, recognised there was an opportunity to make an even greater impact. “Beyond being supporters, the Board at the time, saw that by partnering with Chances for Children and creating a Scholarship, it would have a valuable opportunity to support kids from our community.”
“One of our key focus areas, as a Community Bank, is children and as a Board, we look to support children living in our area. The Chances program had a good track-record – it’s very successful in the work it does, so there was security in knowing that the money we supplied would be well directed and well managed,” previous Community Bank Wentworth and District Chair, Andrew Cottrell, explains.
Alex Rowbotham former scholarship recipient (left) and Andrew Cottrell former Community Bank Wentworth and District Chair (right)
In 2012, the Chances for Children Community Bank Wentworth and District Scholarship was founded and since then, the Bank has supported nine young people to pursue tertiary studies across a range of fields, from Medicine to Fine Arts. Five of those Scholarship recipients have since graduated and they’re all grateful for the support the Wentworth Scholarship gave them.
Alex Rowbotham is one former recipient who can’t speak highly enough about the Scholarship and the impact it had on his life.
“Words can’t describe how grateful I am to have received the Scholarship. For many students, university is when they first move away from home, have to live in an unknown environment and meet new people. Throw in full-time study, placements, work and you have the makings of one very overwhelmed student! The scholarship relieved the financial pressure and the strain in other areas too. I really can’t say thank you enough.”
Alex says the financial support gave him the security he needed and allowed him to focus on his studies. Now working as a primary school teacher in Mildura, he sees the Scholarship as having gone full circle.
“The Scholarship supported me and now, as a teacher, I’m contributing and giving back to the community.”
With the costs of tertiary study and living away from home, on an endlessly upward trajectory, Alex sees the role of Chances for Children and its partners as being critical in supporting opportunities for young people in our region.
“It’s so important to provide regional and remote students with quality education and opportunities,” Alex, who grew up in Broken Hill, says, reflecting on his own journey.
“Everyone deserves the right to receive a meaningful education and to study something they’re genuinely passionate about, despite their financial situation and where they live.”