***Bank Chair, Stephen Marshall “We want to see people staying in school and graduating and going on and contributing to their community.”***

LOCAL students were celebrated for their determination and promise at an event in Woombye on February 18, as Woombye Community Bank awarded its 2026 Secondary School and TAFE Scholarships.

The annual presentation evening marked what chair Stephen Marshall described as the bank’s “flagship community giving initiative”, supporting young people to stay in school and pursue further education.

“Our little Bank the Community Bank Woombye is one of our 300 community banks in Australia under the Bendigo Bank flag,” Mr Marshall told the audience.

“And we opened our doors on the 9th of March, 2009. And since then we’ve invested over $700,000 into all sorts of different organisations and community events here on Sunshine Coast. Not bad for a little bank.”

He said the bank’s model allowed it to reinvest heavily in the district. “We could only do that because local people bank with us and our charter says that we can allocate up to 80 percent of our profits to the community,” he said.

The scholarship program, he said, was central to that mission. “We want to grow it because it’s so important for our young people to get a good education. We want to see people staying in school and graduating and going on and contributing to their community.”

Branch manager Hayley Saunders described the program as an important initiative aimed at supporting academically-motivated students in Years 10 and 11 whose financial or social circumstances might limit their progression into senior schooling or TAFE.

“This was our second year of the scholarship program and we were so impressed that we were able to allocate scholarships to 11 worthy recipients. The scholarships offered provide up to $1000 per year for two years and funds may be used to help cover study-related expenses such as accommodation costs, course costs, study-related materials and equipment, textbooks, tutoring and/ or education related travel (within Australia),” she said.

“Children should not be locked out of educational opportunities for financial reasons.”

Mr Marshall told recipients: “With the relatively small amount that we’ve been able to give you, we hope that it that it sets you on a path for your career when you leave school.”

He encouraged students to share the story of the program and the role community banking plays in making it possible.

■ For more info or to apply for a scholarship contact Hayley on (07) 5442 1311 or at info@thebetterbank.com.au.