The Charters Towers community has received a recent boost after becoming recipients of not one but two grants as part of Queensland Country Bank's Good for Good Community Grants program.
LiteHaus International, which aims to remove the obstacles of digital literacy and make education accessible to all young people, have received $10,000 to refurbish 100 laptops that will be distributed amongst Charters Towers students.
The devices were handed out last Monday as part of the first leg of LiteHaus International's Central Queensland rollout, where 400 more devices will be delivered to students and community members across Central Queensland including Emerald, Winton, and Longreach.
Australian Programs Lead at LiteHaus International Rob Birnie said the funding will enable them to continue to equip children in rural and remote areas with the devices required to learn in the modern-day classroom.
"The digital divide is by no means limited to developing countries as tens of thousands of students across Australia, particularly in rural and remote regions, do not own a personal digital device at home," said Mr Birnie.
"This is an enormous constraint to students and their schools and it truly came to the fore during the height of the COVID-19 crisis which left thousands of students across Queensland stranded without a digital device as education moved onto online platforms.
"The Queensland Country Bank Good for Good grant has enabled us at LiteHaus to distribute 100 devices to students in the Charters Towers region, who otherwise would have gone without, providing necessary tools to learn and excel in today's digital era."
Charters Towers' Our Town Association received a grant of $5000 which president Jo Feirclough said will be used to help with the purchase of a new hospital bed and other medical supplies.
"Our Town Association helps anyone in the district with medical aids such as hospital beds, wheelie walkers and shower chairs," said Mr Feirclough.
"If we don't have what is requested, we will either source one locally or purchase a new one.
"We primarily raise funds through markets and raffles so to receive $5000 to be able to purchase a brand-new bed and other smaller equipment straight away has been a huge boost."
Queensland Country Bank Charters Towers Branch Manager Susan Murphy said she was delighted that two local associations were chosen to receive a share in the $130,000 worth of grant funding awarded in this round.
"LiteHaus International and Our Town Association are two great organisations who are doing meaningful work in the Charters Towers region that will be felt right across the entire community," said Ms Murphy.
"It's extremely pleasing to be able to give back to our Members and community in this way."
