(L-R) Aspen Medical COO Craig Fitzgerald, Social Impact Manager Mel Broers, Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Foundation Director Amelda Keys, Aspen Medical Founder Glenn Keys, and Foundation Chair Sian Keys. Photo: Supplied.
Aspen Medical Foundation, the registered charity of global healthcare solutions provider Aspen Medical, has announced it will fund new scholarships for Fijian students and continue to provide scholarships for First Nations students in Australia.
The announcement came at the launch of the Aspen Medical Foundation Social Impact Report 2024.
Since 2008, the Foundation has funded a total of 57 philanthropic programs, 31 health scholarships for First Nations students and $1.7 million in donations.
In the past year, Aspen Medical Foundation has spent just under $1 million on local and international philanthropic causes. These range from a prosthetics program in war-torn Ukraine to extending the ‘Young Doctors for Life’ (YDLF) program to Western Australia.
Founding CEO of Malpa, Don Palmer, which runs YDLF, thanked Aspen Medical for its financial support over the last 10 years.
After starting with just a dozen kids and growing by word of mouth, Malpa has 825 children lined up for its program next year. It gives Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal kids from seriously disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to engage in culturally derived, community-co-designed projects that train them to be local health ambassadors.
“Part of the role of traditional healers in Aboriginal society was to identify children (9 to 12 years old) who have the right attitude and aptitude, take them aside and start raising them to be the next generation of healers,” Mr Palmer said.
“We started up a program whereby each community could design a 15-week program for a group of 15 kids where they would learn the old ways as much as they could be known from a traditional knowledge keeper. But they also learn new ways from a local doctor, paramedic and whoever.
“You start to give the kids an idea of how they can take control, not just of their own health, but also their community.”
Foundation Chair Sian Keys also announced that over the coming year, it will fund four new scholarships for Fijian students pursuing healthcare degrees through the Fiji National University and the Australian College of Nursing.
“When the Aspen Medical Foundation was established by Amelda and Glenn Keys in 2008, it was done with the intention to give back to and support the communities that we are so lucky to be part of,” she said.
“Over these past 16 years, the Foundation has been led by Amelda, who has brought a deep sense of purpose and care to her leadership. I was honoured to take over from her as Chair in May of this year, and much of the great work reflected in our 2023-24 Annual Report was under her leadership.
“These are big shoes to fill, but I am grateful that she has agreed to remain a member of the Board and continue to offer her knowledge and guidance to myself and the rest of the Board as the Foundation moves into the future.”
Speaking at the launch, the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, Dr Andrew Leigh, said the Federal Government is committed to collaborating with the philanthropic, not-for-profit, and business sectors to double philanthropic giving by 2030.
“That’s why we asked the Productivity Commission to undertake a once-in-a-generation inquiry to examine the policy framework supporting philanthropy,” he said. “The double‑giving goal is not just a government objective – it’s a shared objective.
“I’d like to suggest that everyone ask themselves the same question. ‘How can I contribute to that goal?'”
To find out more about the Aspen Medical Foundation, including their charitable works and scholarships, visit Aspen Medical.
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