The Australian Bureau of Statistics tells us in the 2022 census, there were 3093 residents under the age of 19 living in Hepburn Shire. Of those, there are approximately 1,531 students enrolled in primary and secondary schools in the Hepburn region.
Introduction
To connect with as many of these young people as possible, in 2023 The Daylesford Foundation devised an initiative to provide support to all 13 schools in the shire. The original intent was to help with transitioning from pre-school to primary school, primary to secondary and secondary to work or tertiary, excursions and swimming activities and clubs and social engagement. But engagement with the local schools identified varying needs at many different levels. So the Foundation agreed to provide funding directly to the schools each year, allowing the schools to use their discretion for allocation, ensuring the Foundation’s objectives are adhered to.
The program
Each of the schools have identified particular needs focused on building inclusive and vibrant school experiences for all of their students (where those needs could not be funded from existing resources). A meeting in December 2023 convened as a debrief for the program so far, and returned ringing endorsements from all schools as to the success of the program.
The schools involved
- Bullarto Primary School
- Trentham Primary School
- Darma School Daylesford
- St Michael’s Daylesford
- Daylesford Primary School
- Daylesford Secondary College
- Hepburn Primary School
- Newlyn Primary School
- Clunes Primary School
- Creswick Primary School
- Creswick North Primary School
- St Augustine’s Creswick
- Yandoit Primary School
Scroll this page to learn more about the specific initiatives these schools have implemented to date.
The Daylesford Foundation has invested $43,000 per year in support of the school-based program and will continue to grow the program in the future.
Small Steps, Big Impact for Clunes School Lunches
Earlier this term, when the Clunes School Lunches program needed urgent support to continue, volunteers from Clunes Neighbourhood House stepped up to relaunch the service — and The Daylesford Foundation was pleased to provide funding assistance to help make it happen.
This support has helped the program:
✅ Resume weekly hot lunches for students without disruption
✅ Subsidise meals for families in need
✅ Introduce reusable, waste-free containers — a step toward long-term sustainability
The Daylesford Foundation’s role was simply to help fill a gap — but the heart of this initiative lies with the volunteers, parents, Clunes Primary School, and local businesses who’ve all worked together to keep kids nourished and cared for.
Creswick North Primary: Uniforms support
Creswick North is one of the smallest schools in our region and in 2024 changed uniforms over to a much smarter design and colour.
$1750 provided by The Daylesford Foundation ensured those parents that were struggling to pay for this transition to new uniforms were provided with support.
Daylesford Dharma School
Daylesford Dharma School uses their funding to provide a range of opportunities for their students. More recently, an allocated amount was applied for student accessibility to their Bush Camp held at the Grampians Retreat in Dunkeld from 21-24 May 2024.
The camp focussed on bushwalking, nature craft and Indigenous connections to the Gariwerd Country. From the Dharma School’s Principal, it “was a wonderful shared experience for students and teachers alike”.
