We here in Australia are blessed with many wonderful and altruistic charities, whose sole purpose is to give those in need hope, comfort, security, on many occasions they help change the lives of of those they touch.
One such organisation is the Smith Family.
Shortly before Christmas in 1922, five businessmen returning from a trip to the Blue Mountains visited an orphanage to share toys and sweets with the children. In order to remain anonymous, each man responded “Smith” when asked for their names, and The Smith Family was born.
During the Depression of the late 1920s and early 30s, The Smith Family assisted with the food and clothing needs of thousands of Australians.
In 1933 when rheumatic fever became a major health issue affecting children, The Smith Family set up a special hospital, Mt Arcadia, in North Parramatta, to care for them. It closed in 1958.
In 1960, The Smith Family, under the leadership of General Secretary George Forbes, founded VIEW Clubs Australia (Voice, Interest and Education of Women) to provide a support network for women.
The 1970s saw The Smith Family react to the needs of refugee families fleeing war in Vietnam as well as Timor. It was there to help support the residents of Darwin as they recovered from the devastation inflicted by Cyclone Tracy.
A major turning point came In 1997, when The Smith Family started the ‘Learning for Life’ program. It was established to provides long term support for young Australians in need, all the way through their schooling years. This approach gives ongoing assistance to disadvantaged students, so they can develop and build vital life skills, stay engaged in their education, and have the best opportunity to break the cycle of poverty and disadvantage.
Through this programme, The Smith Family connects students to sponsors whose financial support helps families afford the cost of their children’s essential school items such as uniforms, textbooks, and school excursions.
‘Learning for Life’ works in 94 communities, linking students to local learning opportunities, encouraging them to make the most of their education through participating in a range of support and mentoring programs.
Over the time, The Smith Family has evolved to become a modern, dynamic, organisation.
Today they support 62,822 students and are expanding careers education programs, providing even more opportunities to help students transition from school, tertiary education, or training into the workforce.
Last year, 162,534 disadvantaged children and young people received support through Smith Family programs. In addition, 95% of children in their student2student reading program improved their reading age.
Each year, over 7,000 volunteers contribute to Smith Family programs across the country.
What Is ‘The Smith Family’ Challenge?
The Smith Family Challenge is an annual fundraising event that has contributed $14 million to the ‘Learning for Life’ program it started in 2008.
This past weekend the challenge took place again. 61 people ranging for late 20 to 64 years young. There were 23 first timers and 10 who were doing it for 10 years or more. All took part to make the life of children in keeping with it inarguable values to develop and build vital life skills, stay engaged in their education, and have the best opportunity to break the cycle of poverty and disadvantage.
It is a challenging and thrilling 100km off-road adventure held over two days. Teams of four navigated by foot, bike and on the water through a challenging course before reaching the finish line! The 2024 event was based at Sussex Inlet, just 2hrs from Sydney CBD
For 2024, the event aims to raise over $1,000,000, with each team targeting at least $40,000! All Challengers paid for their own event costs, so 100% of donations went directly to helping children in need.
The longest competing challenger is Tom Roche with 14 years of challenges so far. Tom is also the oldest challenger at 64 years old.
The money Tom has raised over the past 14 challenges has supported and continues to support over 300 disadvantaged Australian children. Tom is passionate and dedicated to supporting many, many more children.
To make a difference to Aussie kids today as little as $61 dollars provides a child in need with a new uniform or shoes so they can fit in at school.
Please Donate on the link below:
https://www.thesmithfamilychallenge.com.au/fundraisers/tomroche391
Smith Family Legacy
Growing up in a public housing estate in Redcliffe, Brisbane, Mark Ryan remembers his mum kept a zip lock bag filled with $2 coins. A single parent, Patricia would siphon off the gold coins from her wallet to act as the family’s savings account.
For Mark and his twin brother, Andrew, the stash of coins was used to cover the cost of their first season of organised cricket when they were 13.
“The fees were something minuscule like $28 per sign-on and $2 per week, but that was kind of the financial situation we were in. Mum had enough to cover week-to-week and no more,” Mark Ryan told The Australian Financial Review.
Mark, who is the manager of strategic communications at Queensland Rail, thinks of that season of cricket as a turning point in his life. Sport led to an early career as a journalist and eventually took him to Britain, where he played semi-professional cricket and worked in television production with British Sky Broadcasting.
“You wind back life and think about these turning points. If we hadn’t been able to join up that season, who knows how things could have worked out?” he says.
Another turning point was receiving a scholarship from educational charity The Smith Family, which allowed him to embark on a law and journalism degree in 1998 at the Queensland University of Technology.
It allowed his brother Andrew to study law and psychology at the University of Queensland, paving his way for a career in international sport. Having previously worked for the International Olympic Committee, Andrew is now managing director of FIBA Media in
Switzerland, which produces and promotes the biggest international basketball events.
The pair were some of the first students to receive a Learning for Life tertiary scholarship from The Smith Family, which celebrates its centenary this week. Starting with the Ryans, the Financial Review, the charity partner of The Smith Family, will over the summer months profile former students who have found success in the business and non-profit world.
The Smith Family’s chief executive, Doug Taylor, says the charity supports more than 58,000 students across primary, secondary, and tertiary education.
“We’re immensely proud of our former students who are helping to make our nation a better place in so many different areas – including in executive roles like the Ryans, and also as chefs, musicians, teachers, artists, mechanics and medical professionals,” Taylor said.
“Whatever our students’ passion, we’re focused on equipping them with the tools they need to succeed, and we know this support makes all the difference to young people’s futures.”
Learning For Smith FamilyLife At Work.
Mark Ryan says the Learning for Life scholarship “made an enormous difference” by covering the costs associated with university, including public transport, student union fees and textbooks.
“The Smith Family scholarships provided our family with a level of financial security. That wasn’t something we’d experienced. Knowing we had that financial support for the day-to-day expenses of studying at university allowed us some breathing space and lifted some of the burden off mum.”
It wasn’t until the pair arrived at university that the difference between their upbringing and that of their peers became apparent.
“The biggest difference was when, a couple of years into uni, it became a regular thing for a few of us to go out and have a coffee after a lecture. I don’t think I would have seen my mum buy a cup of coffee in her life … it wasn’t something that we spent money on,” Mark says.
“It was one of those small things in life when you get the sense people do things differently when they have money.”
Mark is chairman of Return Serve, a not-for-profit organisation that uses sport to bring people together regardless of their background, to form good habits and create social cohesion.
He is also an advocate for having people who understand social inequality and know what it’s like to live in a world of disadvantage on boards and in governance roles.
“The challenges people from low socio-economic areas face compared to people in a more secure financial position can be markedly different,” he says.
“It’s difficult to bring that perspective to the table in high-level conversations unless you have some personal experience in communities where disadvantage is the norm, and decision-making should be about bringing multiple perspectives to the table.”
With four sons between them (“no twins, thank goodness”) who have all inherited their parents’ love of sport, the Ryans’ weekends are spent ferrying their children from junior cricket to swimming and athletics.
“Creating greater educational opportunities for young people is arguably the most important improvement we can make to break the intergenerational poverty cycle,” Mark says.
There you have it The Smith Family making a real difference in our community.
To donate and support this vital cause please use the link below to donate whatever you might be able to afford.
https://www.thesmithfamilychallenge.com.au/fundraisers/tomroche391
Thankyou.
