At Variety, we’re not afraid to do things a little differently – especially when we know it will enable us to help more kids and families in need.
In early 2021, we undertook a grants review process to ensure we were providing help where help was needed. We compared our systems to those in Variety offices across the USA, Canada, UK, Ireland and throughout Australia. After analysing the results, we used the information to revamp our Kids Support framework and launch four new grants: We Move, We Join, We Care and We Learn.
When we launched our We Learn Grant in July, we expected it to be popular but not even we predicted the overwhelming response we would receive.
The grant gives NSW and ACT families experiencing financial hardship the chance to apply for support for educational supplies and technology.
When the grant closed in September, we were stunned to have received over 1000 applications – a huge increase in demand for support from the 162 applications we received for a similar grant in 2020 and a record for any grant we have ever offered!
The grant opened at a time when students across the country were learning from home given ongoing Covid-19 lockdowns. As learning moved online, so too did doctors and specialists’ appointments placing additional strain on families desperately needing access to technology.
A total of 1171 grants were given out across NSW and the ACT – 859 Educational Technology and 312 Educational Supplies – valued at over $450,000.
Laptops and chromebooks were sent directly from our supplier, Harvey Norman Technology for Business, while Big W gift cards were supplied for Educational Supplies including school uniforms, stationery, textbooks, lunch boxes and drink bottles.
Canberra mum Lisa, has four boys and two of her sons, Dylan (9) and Braden (6), were among those who received laptops.
“We are just so grateful to Variety. You don’t know what’s happening behind closed doors or just how hard it is for some people so to have Variety step in and offer a way out of that stress, it’s just incredible.”
In other new grant news for 2021, four We Move Grants were approved and four We Join Grants were given.
The We Move Grant is open all year round. The We Learn and We Join Grants will open again in 2022. For more information, visit https://www.variety.org.au/nsw/how-we-help/
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