Sibelco has delivered on a promise to the Hilltops community by donating $25,000 to the Harden District Education Foundation (HDEF), a local non-profit organisation that assists school leavers in achieving their educational and career goals. This is the final instalment of a four-year commitment made by Sibelco to the HDEF in 2015, bringing the company’s total contribution to $100K. Glen Best, Group Operations Manager at Sibelco presented the cheque to Kirsty Kemp, member of the HDEF Committee on May 10 whilst visiting Murrumburrah High students taking part in Outward Bound, an outdoor education program that uses challenging experiences to empower youth and help them reach their full potential.
Mr Best spent the day out in the field with Year 9 and 10 students, reflecting on the last four years of support, speaking to the students about leadership and teamwork and getting involved in a high ropes activity. Charlotte Middleton, President of the HDEF said, “Sibelco’s incredibly generous donations over the last four years have enabled us to send 34 students to Outward Bound. The program is an amazing opportunity that often has a life-changing impact on students – either immediately, or later in life when overcoming challenges.
Without Sibelco’s support, many students wouldn’t be able to attend due to the high expense. “Sibelco’s contribution has also helped many of our young locals with the costs of attending University, TAFE and undergoing apprenticeships, which are often much higher for rural students. Through support from Sibelco and other sponsors, we have helped more than 40 students in the past two years alone.” The HDEF is a branch of the Country Education Foundation (CEF) which helps rural and regional communities to establish their own local education foundations.
The CEF operates a network of more than 40 education foundations across Australia. “Sibelco is proud to have contributed to such a worthy cause and we’ve really enjoyed reading all the stories of these students and the educational programs they have been able to take part in through the help of the HDEF. “We remain committed to supporting the Hilltops community, particularly educational opportunities for local youth,” said Mr Best. The Harden District Education Foundation fundraises throughout the year and accepts donations from local residents and businesses in order to provide financial grants to students who need an extra helping hand.
To find out more or to make a donation to CEF or to your local foundation, go to https://cef.org.au/ About Sibelco Sibelco is a global leader in material solutions, transforming raw materials with technology and know-how to offer solutions with, and beyond minerals. A privately-owned business, Sibelco manufactures and distributes an extensive multi-mineral portfolio consisting of silica, clay, lime and other industrial, non-metallic (specialty) minerals. At Sibelco, we support the progress of modern life and our industrial minerals are supplied to a diverse range of applications including glass, ceramics, construction & engineering, paint, coatings, polymers, metals and casting, oil & gas and agriculture. Sibelco has a strong presence around the world operating over 200 production sites in more than 40 countries, with a team of nearly 10,000 people. Sibelco’s commitment to sustainable development and operational excellence is entrenched in our culture. For more information, visit www.Sibelco.com.
Sibelco Meeting
A community meeting was held at Galong on Monday night where representatives from Sibelco said they will be contributing $1,000,000 towards the upgrade of Galong Road whilst a representative of Hilltops Council stated that Council will be providing $200,000 in contributions. Sibelco are preparing to lodge a Development Application where they have stated they will be seeking an increase of 100,000 tonnes to reach a total of 420,000 tonnes.
