For the second year running, Seddon Community Bank Branch partnered with Victoria University for its bi-annual Charity Challenge.

The Challenge is an optional unit of study in the College of Business, where teams of students are ‘challenged’ to create and execute three fundraising activities in 12 weeks to raise funds for local charities.

The teams are each supported with a mentor from the branch staff or board as well as $250 seed funding to kick start their projects!

Activities were wide and varied – a movie night, a tennis tournament, a footy competition, raffles and rock/paper/scissors games were a selection of activities that culminated in a total of $2,983 raised for Foodbank, Youth Junction & the Les Twentyman Foundation. While the fundraising was a great outcome, the students, charities and mentors all agreed that so much more was achieved.

The 12 weeks program culminated in a presentation evening which gave the students the opportunity to recount their experiences to tutors, mentors, charity representatives and banks staff. Representatives from Foodbank and the Les Twentyman Foundation both recounted the impact that the students’ fundraising would have on the greater community.

Leticia from Foodbank shared that every dollar raised translated into $8 in real food while $25 enables Foodbank to feed a family of four for a week.

A highlight of the evening was getting feedback from one of the team leaders, Sarthay. “I chose the Charity Challenge because I felt the need to give back to the community. It gives me profound happiness to think beyond myself and to help those who I can. I have had a childhood full of struggles. I expected my community to support me in those difficult times in my life. I feel like it’s my time to help the community.”