A special Thank You Event on Thursday 5 December paid tribute to the generous philanthropists who have supported the work of the Beacon of Hope Foundation.

Donors, corporate sponsors, community partners, volunteers, students and College leaders were among the guests who gathered in the Tony Sheumack Centre for Performing Arts to hear about the impact of the Foundation’s mission.

The event outlined the achievements of the Foundation’s three arms; the Community Relief Fund which delivers support programs locally and internationally, the Community Education Support Fund (CESF) providing bursaries and scholarships and the Building Fund which helps build and enhance College facilities.

Foundation Company Secretary David Young thanked College staff and community donors who had generously supported the CESF since its inception in 2015.

Since that year, the fund has granted means-tested bursaries totalling $168,000, which have helped 23 students whose families may have experienced hardships such as sudden loss of a parent, health-related stress and/or trauma.

Foundation Chair Kimberley Flanagan spoke of the importance of education and thanked everyone who had generously supported the Scholarship Program, enabling the Foundation to offer two Senior School scholarships in 2024.

Sarah Dyce, Head of Citizenship and Service, outlined some of the substantial achievements of the College’s service programs, supported by the Community Relief Fund. They include ongoing connections with schools in East Timor and Bangladesh, along with local initiatives such as Beacon Meals, helping provide disability employment while addressing food insecurity in our region.

Graduating students Dylan Crossley and Bridie Drane-Johnson spoke passionately about their experiences as Citizenship and Service captains, while Year 10 student Olyvia described the life-changing impact of Beacon of Hope fundraising for the people of East Timor.

Guest speaker Tony Kent from Fred Hyde Schools also described how donations to the charity had helped redevelop the West Ahmedpur School in remote Bangladesh, which opened in 2023.

College Board Chair David Moseley said the Beacon of Hope Foundation would “continue to build on our culture of compassion that reaches far beyond the walls of our College”.