New Grants to support children and youth in country Queensland

The last two years has seen significant change for The John Villiers Trust with a new strategic focus on grant giving to benefit children and youth in country Queensland and achieve transformative change in Queensland communities through active engagement and strong partnerships.

The grants awarded in FY21 support organisations to address the needs of rural, regional and remote communities with a focus on initiatives that: support organisational capacity building; are community directed; provide multiple impacts and enable partnerships and collaboration to leverage resources.

The John Villiers Trust awards grants throughout the year which range in size and commitment, however at the centre of our granting strategy is the wellbeing and future of children and youth, and their families and communities, in country Queensland.

Lea-Anne Bradley, CEO of The John Villiers Trust, said The John Villiers Trust will continue to provide grants to rural, regional and remote communities where the need and potential for impact is the greatest.

“The last 12 months has been challenging and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many young people across Queensland communities.  We are grateful to all of our grantees who work with locals so they can understand the challenges young people in these communities face and with our contribution, can reach those most in need of support” Lea-Anne said.

This includes organisations such as LiteHaus International who are bridging the digital divide for school children and through a $10,000 grant will be able to extend their reach into rural, regional and remote Queensland with 1,000 digital devices to be distributed to students over the next 12 months. And in Toowoomba, the Top Blokes Foundation will work with young males to deliver a mentoring and social education program which will develop young men’s resilience, empathy, and respect for self and others, and in doing so, aims to reduce the rates of suicides, mental-health issues, antisocial and risk-taking behaviours.

By working with these grantees, partners and the local community The John Villiers Trust are committed to positively impacting the lives of children and youth as they face whatever the future may hold.

The grants awarded for FY2021 are:

Australian Schools Plus – Building better schools – $450,000 over 3 years

This three-year grant will provide much needed support to disadvantaged schools in regional Queensland to improve the learning outcomes of their students. The grant supports three Australian Schools Plus  projects designed to meet a significant need in regional school communities. They will:

• Develop school leaders’ capacity to design, deliver and evaluate strategic projects
• Create sustainable partnerships by harnessing the expertise of the local community
• Increase attendance and engagement of students and grow connection to culture

Griffith University – Supporting schools, Outback Futures, and the community to improve child wellbeing in Barcaldine – $40,860

A one-year pilot project where Griffith University’s RealWell team will collaborate with and support Outback Futures to better understand child wellbeing in the Barcaldine region and inform community-led initiatives to improve outcomes for outback children.

LiteHaus International – Bridging the Digital Divide across Rural, Regional and Remote Queensland –  $10,000

This capacity-building grant will enable Litehaus International staff to distribute 1,000 digital devices to students across rural, regional and remote Queensland over the next 12 months.

Top Blokes Foundation – Improving the mental health and wellbeing of young men in Toowoomba – $282,041 over 3 years

This 3 year grant allows Top Blokes Foundation to launch this program in the Toowoomba region to positively impact the mental-health and wellbeing of over 550 young males whilst building a sustainable hub.

Since its inception, The John Villiers Trust has invested over $9.9 million in the Queensland community and we continue to ensure we are making a difference and impacting the lives of young Queenslanders and their communities. For a list of projects we currently support click here. If you would to join us in supporting county Queensland and its children and youth you can donate to The John Villiers Trust by clicking here.