Page 4 - View-Matters-November-2023

Message from
n behalf of all Smith Family
team members, I sincerely
O thank every VIEW member
for your contributions and ongoing
commitment to supporting children
experiencing disadvantage to get
the most from their education.
The past 12 months have been
tough with cost-of-living pressures
placing even more stress on
families who we know are already
struggling. We have been grateful
to have the support of VIEW
members across the country –
not only for your fundraising and
volunteering efforts, but, equally
importantly, for being a voice for us
in communities.
I am a big believer in harnessing
the power of communities to help
drive transformational change and
your work as VIEW Club members
within your local communities and,
more broadly, The Smith Family
community, is an integral part of
that process. We cannot
4 VIEW MATTERS
The Smith Family
It’s hard to believe another year is drawing to a close – and what
a year VIEW has had! Five new VIEW Clubs, a wonderful National
Convention, 1,700 plus students sponsored, countless fundraising
and social events and hundreds of thousands of dollars in
donations for The Smith Family.
put a price on the value of this
advocacy work. Please keep it up
We provide Learning for Life
– children on the Learning for Life
students with the device, data and
program need your support more
digital skills they need to participate
than ever.
in the education system and build
In September, I was delighted crucial skills for the future. I learned
to attend the VIEW National that VIEW Clubs have already
Convention in Hobart where contributed close to $100,000
I experienced first-hand the towards the DLE program. Amazing!
wonderful enthusiasm and
Our goals are ambitious - which is
spirit of VIEW.
why your ongoing commitment to
In my speech I talked about the ensure that all children have the
plans we have for The Smith Family opportunity to ‘change their future
for the next five years. through the power of education’ is
so important.
One of our goals is to ensure all
students on our Learning for Life So, thank you VIEW for your
program are digitally included by wonderful contributions to The
2027. COVID and remote learning Smith Family’s work and your
clearly demonstrated just how vital support of families and children
a computer and internet access is living with disadvantage.
for the educational success of every
With more than 60 years of helping
child. To help us achieve this, we
us achieve our goals, I have no
have launched our Digital Learning
doubt that yet again VIEW members
Essentials (DLE) program which
will step up and deliver.
provides an extra level of support to
ensure young Australians in need I have enjoyed getting to know VIEW
can overcome the digital inequality better throughout 2023 and look
caused by poverty. forward to the year ahead. Thank
you for all that you do.
Doug Taylor
Chief Executive Officer
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