Supporting Children’s Education A Key Priority For Mackay View Club This Anti-Poverty Week

Members of Mackay VIEW Club are calling on the community to give generously this Anti-Poverty Week [12-18 October] and sponsor a child or donate to the national children’s education charity The Smith Family. The focus of this Anti-Poverty Week is to end child poverty in Australia.

Mackay VIEW Club helps 5 children through The Smith Family’s Learning for Life education support program, which provides families with long term educational, financial, and personal assistance, so that children have all the essentials needed to make the most of their education.

President of the VIEW Club Elizabeth Butterworth said with one in six children in Australia growing up in poverty, there has never been a more important time to support a child with their education.

“Families are having to make impossible choices about how to spend limited resources, this could be prioritising rent over sending their child on a school excursion, being able to afford schoolbooks or essential digital learning tools,” said Elizabeth.

“A laptop and reliable internet access at home are now vital for any child’s education.”

“No child should have to miss out on the essentials for their education, and this is why VIEW is so passionate about supporting the work of The Smith Family.

"Its evidence-based approach helps children experiencing disadvantage to overcome the educational inequality they face. They support students for the duration of their education, and this helps them build the confidence and skills needed to create better futures for themselves.”

VIEW Clubs raised more than $1.5 million nationally last year to support The Smith Family’s important work, and they currently sponsor over 1,800 students on the Learning for Life scholarship program.

VIEW Clubs in 2025 also raised over $182,000 for The Smith Family’s Digital Learning Essentials program, that aims to close the digital divide and allow students to fully participate in their schooling.

While fundraising plays a vital role in helping children in need, President Elizabeth is also encouraging women of all ages to donate their time and skills by joining a VIEW Club.

Each year, VIEW members collectively volunteer over 70,000 hours of their time to help young people through homework, reading and mentoring programs run by the charity – but there’s still a need for more helping hands.

“Our VIEW members have a unique opportunity to provide hands-on support to children experiencing disadvantage, while also forming meaningful and lasting community relationships,” Elizabeth said.

“Recently, members in our local area have been participating in public awareness stalls at Riverside and Farmer’s Markets and we will also be at The Seniors Expo on October 14."

To find out more about joining VIEW, visit view.org.au or call 1800 805 366.

To sponsor a child or donate to The Smith Family, visit thesmithfamily.com.au or call 1800 633 622.

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