Goodall Youth Scholarship Fund

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay) (15:25): I rise today to talk about the challenge of young people transitioning from primary school to secondary school. Evidence shows that how well students cope with that transition can have ongoing implications for their emotional and academic development. A student's sense of belonging to a school has also been seen as an important factor when adjusting to a new school.

Knowing this, I am proud to inform the house of a positive new initiative of the Rotary Club of Salisbury called the Goodall Youth Scholarship Fund. Indeed, I am privileged to be a long-term honorary member of this Rotary club. As the new member for Ramsay, they invited me to come along to a meeting and I was absolutely delighted to be offered honorary membership. The Goodall Youth Scholarship Fund has been developed via a capital and perpetual fund in regard to small scholarship grants.

The Goodall Youth Scholarship Fund is named in honour of a local Salisbury businessman and charter member of the Rotary club, which was established more than 55 years ago by the late Alan Goodall. It is also supported by his wife, who contributed significantly to the Rotary Club of Salisbury, the late Betty Goodall, as well as esteemed local councillor and club member the late Brian Goodall. The fund committee is being supported by the patron, Mrs Kaye Goodall, who is the wife of the late Brian Goodall.

The Rotary Club of Salisbury trialled the program with Pooraka Primary School in 2017 and, following its success, will issue in late 2018 scholarships through a number of local primary schools. The grants will be of the magnitude of $250 per student and can be used by a new high school student to purchase the uniform of their new school, study resources, technology or other items that help them transition from primary school to secondary school with confidence.

The Rotary club will accept an application from key school staff, such as the principal, the student counsellor or youth worker, regarding the potential value of this transitional support and the need of the family for financial help to give the student the best possible transition from primary to secondary school. We know that students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as those with problem behaviours and fewer friendships prior to starting secondary school, are more vulnerable during this transition period. These scholarships are about providing strategic financial support to the student at this critical point.

A small investment at this time will help to make a major change in a number of young people's lives in Salisbury. As many members of the house will know, Rotary has youth service as one of its five avenues of service—that is, Rotary members finding ways to support and develop our young people, to give them a hand where it is appropriate, to develop leadership skills, to support the Interact and Rotaract clubs and to help build a resilient youth community.

We like to thank community organisations like the Rotary Club of Salisbury, because it is fantastic to see them step up and support what will be a long-term sustainable contribution to our community through this fund. This fund will be launched this Sunday at the Salisbury Bowling Club, the home of the Orange Bowl, at 3 o'clock. The Rotary club will host an afternoon tea event where a number of Salisbury business and community leaders will be asked for their support to build the capital base of the fund. I myself have already contributed to be one of the foundation members of the fund. The patron of the fund, Mrs Kaye Goodall, said:

…this is also about the young person knowing that outside their family, indeed even outside their school, it is the whole of the community that cares about their success…

As the local member and an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Salisbury, I commend to the house the Goodall Youth Scholarship Fund. I encourage those members who may live in the north, and indeed any of the members in this place, to contribute. I congratulate the Rotary club on their collaboration with our schools and on taking a leadership role in helping young people in our community.