Opening the Doors for Aboriginal Education

During the first COVID lockdown in 2020, a good friend of mine (Scott Antony) started a running group. Known as the West Hawthorn Striders (WHS), Scotty's vision was for it to become the third biggest running group in Hawthorn! At last count we were at least fourth! The COVID pandemic and associated lockdowns presented the perfect opportunity to up my running game to take the allocated "one hour" of exercise. 19 months later, all the hard work is hopefully going to pay off when I run the Melbourne Marathon on Sunday December 12th.

 

Given this is my first (but hopefully not last) marathon, I would like to try and make a small difference in some way. As well as the obvious fitness and mental health benefits, WHS has connected many local families, all of whom the Arthur family now consider lifelong friends. I am truly grateful that Scotty invited me to join such a great group! I would also like to thank Hannah for supporting me through (and tolerating!) the hundreds of hours of training.

 

When thinking about a cause to support, it didn't take me long to come up with something. As a teacher at Carwatha College, Scotty has a strong passion for education. This intertwines perfectly with The Opening the Doors Foundation (OTDF), a charity that my father (John Arthur) co-founded in 2001.

 

The OTDF addresses the severe educational disadvantage still being experienced by many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, by providing practical assistance (Uniforms, Shoes, Books, IT, Calculators, Camps) so that they are able to choose educational opportunities for their children in the non-government independent school sector in Victoria.

 

What started as a "dream foundation with no money" in 2000, has today grown to become the only Aboriginal foundation in the State dedicated to supporting education for students from foundation year to year 12. Over its twenty years it has provided guidance and support to more than 3,000 students and their families on their education journey, with over 10,000 grants totalling more than $6 million. In 2021, over 800 students have been supported across more than 300 Victorian Schools.

 

Thankyou for your support and you can read more about OTDF at the link bel

ow.

 

https://www.openingthedoors.org.au/history