New Indigenous Scholarship Fund launched to mark service of former Chairman

To honour the service of former Chairman, the Hon Jeff Kennett AC, to its Board from 2008 to 2020, Equity Trustees has established a new scholarship fund for Indigenous students.

The Hon Jeffrey Kennett AC Indigenous Scholarship Fund will be administered by the Equity Trustees Philanthropy team and will provide support to four secondary students annually through the Opening Doors Foundation in Victoria.

The Foundation was established by Vicki Clark OAM to pay for costs associated with schooling for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families where costs are not otherwise funded by government or other educational funding sources. This can include school uniforms, books, school camps and other school associated costs.

“Mr Kennett had a well-known and long held personal goal to doing what he could to improve opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” said Managing Director, Mick O’Brien.

“He regularly focussed his attention on ways he, personally could encourage Equity Trustees to work towards lessening disadvantage experienced by First Australians.”

Equity Trustees also marked the service of director Alice Williams, who retired from the Board at the 2020 AGM with Mr Kennett, with a donation to the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health. She served from 2007 to 2020, which included being a member of the Felton Bequest Committee.