Right now 15,000 children are urgently waiting for sponsors.

Our Programs
- Literacy programs
  Providing resources and support to help children living with disadvantage achieve the required reading standard.
- Technology programs
  Providing children and young people living with disadvantage with the critical skills, access, and equipment they need.
- Numeracy programs
  We support early years educators and community professionals in building foundational math skills in children under their care.
- Learning for Life
  Providing holistic, long-term support for disadvantaged young Australians throughout their education.
- Mentoring programs
  Mentoring programs for students living with disadvantage that provide the encouragement they need to build aspirations for their future.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs
  Our work engages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in learning through education, life skills and role models, promoting culturally responsive practice.
Our learning support and mentoring programs in 90 Australian communities directly help children in need achieve their goals through education.
View all programs
Get Involved
- Ways to fundraise
  Learn about fundraising and give back to the community with The Smith Family.
- Volunteer with us
  Share your skills to help Australian children in need transform their lives through education.
- Partnerships
  Learn how your organisation can partner with The Smith Family and help build a better future for Australian children in need.
- Careers
  We aim to provide a working environment where staff and volunteers have the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally.
- Events
  Participate in events and activities that support young Australians experiencing disadvantage.
- VIEW clubs of Australia
  Learn about VIEW, a leading women’s volunteer organisation and support network with over 16,000 members, across Australia.
Ways to Give
- Sponsor a child
  Through child sponsorship, you will be matched to an Australian child in need, helping to support the cost of their school essentials.
- A gift in your will
  Ensure that future generations of Australian children have the support they need to make the most of their education.
- Monthly donation
  Become a monthly donor and provide continual support throughout all stages of a child’s education.
- Philanthropic giving
  Through your philanthropy, you can ensure that young Australians impacted by poverty get the education that all children deserve.
- Single donation
  Your donation will help young Australians in need by providing access to our Learning for Life education support programs.
- Workplace giving
  Making small, regular donations to The Smith Family through Workplace Giving is an easy way to help change the lives of young Australians living in poverty.
Login
Child Sponsorship
Donate now

Cyclists pedalling a powerful message for children in need this Sunday

Media releases

09 October 2015

More than 10,000 cyclists will pedal around Melbourne this Sunday (11 October) in the 23^rd Around the Bay – Ride for a child in need, many of them helping to raise $1.2 million for The Smith Family.

As the event’s charity partner for 22 years, The Smith Family encourages all riders to ‘ride for a reason’ and get sponsored to raise much-needed funds to support the education of disadvantaged children in Australia.

The event, which is run by Bicycle Network, allows riders to choose various distances around Port Phillip Bay – from 20km to the 250km loop around the bay – all within a single day on Sunday, October 11.

A team of Melburnians, the Pirates Sporting Club, will make history by not only riding 210km on Melbourne Bike Share ‘blue’ bikes, but also skipping the traditional ferry ride, and rowing 12km from Queenscliff to Sorrento in surf boats.

Pirates Team Captain Jonathan Stone said the team aimed for something “bigger, better and more ridiculous” in this year’s event, to attract all-important funds for The Smith Family.

“Our goal with Project 222 is to cover 222km on 11 October, and raise over $120,000 to help The Smith Family support the education of 222 disadvantaged children in Australia,” Mr Stone said.

The Smith Family’s Victoria General Manager Anton Leschen said there was still a long way to go to reach the charity’s fundraising target of $1.2 million.

“We thank every rider for taking that extra step to get sponsored and using their trip around the bay to raise funds for children in need,” Mr Leschen said.

“One in 10 children are living in disadvantage¹ in Australia today and this limits their choices, opportunities and outcomes in life.

“If we can raise $1.2 million this year, we can provide before and after school education support for 2,100 disadvantaged children for one whole year.

“I encourage everyone to go online and sponsor an individual rider or team, to make sure we can give all those children a better future.”

As registration fees for Around the Bay – Ride for a child in need go directly to Bicycle Network to improve road conditions for all riders, The Smith Family only benefits when participants decide to fundraise as well as ride. For further information or to sponsor a rider, please visit aroundthebayfundraising.com.au

¹Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013). Labour force, Australia: Labour force status and other characteristics of families, June 2012

Media contacts:

Andrew Dickson | National Media Manager (National) - 0421 285 529 | andrew.dickson@thesmithfamily.com.au
Carla Horton | Senior Media Advisor (QLD & WA) - 0423 618 776 | carla.horton@thesmithfamily.com.au
Reid Jermyn | Media Advisor (VIC, SA & NT) - 0412 803 566 | reid.jermyn@thesmithfamily.com.au
Ben Chenoweth | Senior Media Advisor (NSW, ACT & TAS) - 0413 346 934 | ben.chenoweth@thesmithfamily.com.au

The Smith Family is a national children’s education charity that helps young Australians experiencing disadvantage to create better futures for themselves through harnessing the power of education. We partner with around 800 Australian schools and work with over 162,000 children and young people experiencing disadvantage access our education support programs to help them overcome . For more information, visit thesmithfamily.com.au