The Gilchrist Foundation was started by Stan, June and the Gilchrist family in late 2021. The charity supports educational and sporting scholarships for students of all backgrounds and disadvantages.

The Gilchrist Foundation's mission is to identify eligible students and young sportsmen and women and assist them in furthering their education or skills through financial assistance together with active engagement and mentoring.

Executive Director Stan Gilchrist said he has been humbled by the generous support of donors.

"I’m thrilled to be able to tell you that we have already supported one (recently graduated) TAFE student, one secondary (Goori Stars program) student and eight University students, three of whom will graduate later this year. One graduating student is completing his degree in Archaeology at the University of New England (UNE), and our second scholarship awardee at UNE is studying a Law/Agriculture combined degree."

"I believe that this is an exceptional start to our mission of finding underprivileged students, funding their education but also fostering them with our carefully planned Engagement Program. This has been made possible through your generous past support. Thank you."

Stan shared a letter the charity received recently from scholarship awardee Riana.

To Stan, June and the Gilchrist Foundation,

I am currently enrolled in a Teaching degree at Southern Cross University, and as you know, I am the recipient of your scholarship. The financial assistance that you have provided has made it possible for me to continue with my degree whilst recovering and rebuilding post-flood. It has helped alleviate the stress of sole parenting whilst studying and dealing with the flood aftermath.

Your support has not only provided me with financial assistance, but it has also allowed me to focus more on my university experience as a whole. I love learning. A couple of terms ago, I did a course “Education and Indigenous Australians: Ways of Knowing and Being”. I learnt about Australian Indigenous culture whilst studying on Aboriginal lands. It has been an immense privilege.

As a result of my recent studies, my future career plans have developed further. I would like to do a year teaching maths in Alice Springs to immerse myself amongst the locals, learn the culture and give back to country.

Thank you. Without the help and support, this year could not have happened. I am appreciative of this scholarship opportunity and look forward to making the most of it.

Sincerely, Riana

Riana is one of a lucky group of people who are being helped to further their education and improve their life prospects. Stan is urging Lismore App readers to keep the generations coming.

"There are urgent cases of underprivileged students in our region that continue to approach our Foundation or are known to us via our education partners. To attempt to meet their needs and offer life-changing opportunities, we must continue to seek funds from people like you who can see the value of investing in a scholarship program to help a student start or progress with their studies, often under exceptional circumstances such as droughts, fires and floods or financial distress.

Below is a table as to how your support will help those that need it:

·        Thirty donations of $250 will fund two new scholarships for the 2024 academic year at the University of New England.

·        Thirty donations of $500 will fund three education scholarships for disabled students with our new partner at Griffith University who have promised to match our commitment with the same number of scholarships that we award.

·        Thirty donations of $1,000 will fund a combination of six new sporting and education scholarships with our University partners including Southern Cross University, Charles Sturt University and the University of New England.

Your donation could be a one-off or a regular monthly donation. Please click HERE if you can make a donation.

"Your donation now will give us time to work with our existing and new partner educational providers to seek and process student applications from September to December 2023 for the start of the 2024 academic year. Scholarships are usually awarded at $5,000 per annum and are usually of four years duration," Stan concluded.