Sibelco Group Operations Manager Brian Stokes was present in the foothills of the Namadgi National Park on Friday where he presented a $25,000 cheque to HDEF President Charlotte Middleton as part of the company’s four year commitment to enhancing educational opportunities in the Harden Shire community.

Charlotte, also a teacher at Murrumburrah High School received the donation on behalf of HDEF before an audience of 18 students.

Mrs Middleton and fellow MHS teacher, Josh Wakem along with parent, Melissa Ings have been in the bush for the past six days assisting the students with participation in their seven day outdoor experience for the Outward Bound (OB) program.

Outward Bound is an outdoor adventure program providing challenging experiences to help individuals discover, develop and achieve their full potential and Charlotte is a big advocate for the benefits it provides.

“The Outward Bound (OB) program is a fundamental learning experience for young people in particular as students learn through experience rather than structured lessons.

“Students are given the opportunity to try a wide variety of challenging activities, which in turn builds their confidence and skills in leadership and teamwork,” the MHS OB coordinator said from Namadgi National Park 

On Friday, the group went rock climbing through Lego Land - a maze of interesting rock formations and rock caverns and Mrs Middleton was quick to heap praise on Sibelco for their ongoing support.

“Thanks to Sibelco, we have been able to send 18 students from years 9 and 10 from the HardenShire who would otherwise not be able to attend due to the high expense.

Through this donation, our students in rural and remote areas don’t miss out on these life changing experiences, and can go on to experience the same opportunities as students in metropolitan areas”, she said.

Equally pleased and proud to be at the handing over of the donation, Sibelco’s Brian Stokes also sold the benefits of the partnership between the mining company and HDEF.

“We have built a great relationship with Charlotte and the HDEF. This donation is the second installment of what will be a four year commitment of this same amount.

We acknowledge that the cost of rural students pursuing their goals is often much greater than those of their metropolitan counterparts so we’re happy to be contributing to closing this gap.

We look forward to seeing all the great things achieved through their participation in programs such as Outward Bound,” said Mr Stokes. 

The Harden District Education Foundation is a branch of the Country Education Foundation (CEF) which helps rural and regional communities to establish their own local education foundations. 

Starting with a single foundation in Boorowa in 1993 the CEF family has grown into a network of more than 40 education foundations operating in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

The Harden District Education Foundation fundraises throughout the year and accepts donations from local residents and businesses in order to provide financial grants to students who need an extra helping hand.

To find out more or to make a donation to CEF or to your local foundation, go to https://cef.org.au.

Sibelco, an industrial minerals company with a Limestone quarry and Lime manufacturing operationat Galong, is committed to supporting the local communities in which it operates and has been assisting a number of community groups and projects in Harden and the surrounding areas throughout 2015 and now into 2016.

For further information on Sibelco, visit www.sibelco.com