Over $20,000 donated to school chaplains

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School chaplaincy breakfast donate
Bundaberg Chaplaincy Committee chair Bruce Green and Mayor Jack Dempsey (back) join school chaplains Kelly Giles and Evan Trebbin to celebrate funds donated from the Mayoral School Chaplaincy Breakfast.

More than $20,000 has been donated to Scripture Union Queensland following last month’s successful Mayoral School Chaplaincy Support Breakfast.

Mayor Jack Dempsey said he was delighted with the result which saw $20,650 raised for the region’s school chaplains.

“Our chappies support school students week in, week out throughout the entire year,” Mayor Dempsey said.

“It’s so rewarding to see the community once again come together to offer this level of support for this worthwhile program.

“These are funds that support the school chaplaincy program but above all they support our school children and contribute to our schools being happy and supportive places.”

Vital funds donated from school chaplaincy breakfast

Bundaberg Chaplaincy Committee chair Bruce Green said the donated funds were vital and would enable Scripture Union Queensland to extend its program locally.

“At the moment we have chaplains working part time only in many of our local schools,” Mr Green said.

“Every school would love those chaplains to work more full time than part time but we just don’t have the funds to do that.

“This goes towards increasing the hours we can have our chaplains working in those schools so that the children can access the chaplains more often than they do now.”

He said while 26 schools within the Bundaberg Region were provided with chaplains through the program there were other schools who wanted chaplains.

“We would love to be able to provide chaplains to those schools that don’t have chaplains.”

Mr Green said schools chaplains provided an essential service.

“These days there seems to be a lot more need for emotional and social support for children and young people.

“Chaplains do provide that independent support. They can listen to and share with young people and children.

“The kids see the chaplain as someone they can confide in.”

The Mayoral School Chaplaincy Breakfast is an annual fundraiser which this year attracted almost 400 guests.