The University of Newcastle is rallying the community’s support for its inaugural Gifting Day, a social impact campaign promoting the culture of kindness and raising funds for important initiatives creating positive change.
Gifting Day held on March 9 has been designed to unite students, staff, alumni, and the community to raise awareness and funds for nine important initiatives.
The day will be dedicated to fundraising via celebratory events and activities at the University’s Callaghan campus, Ourimbah campus, NUspace and online over 24 hours.
Aiming to make a significant impact through collective community participation, the University encourages people to get involved in any way they can.
Donations can be made through the Gifting Day website to one of the nine initiatives, or community members can celebrate the power of generosity by participating in on-campus or online events.
The nine priority initiatives Gifting Day will support include 2NURFM radio station, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research, Alumni House, Excellence Scholarships, Human and Social Futures Shaping Futures Scholarships, HunterWiSE, Science and Engineering Challenge, Shaping Futures Scholarships and other project areas of greatest need.
In particular, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research endeavours to forge a fairer future for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
The community informed health research addresses unfair health challenges and delivers life-changing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Australia’s first Indigenous surgeon and Associate Professor Dr Kelvin Kong’s essential research is an example of what the funds raised during Gifting Day could provide for the important initiatives.
Dr Kong has been spearheading the use of telehealth to treat patients in regional and remote communities.
He is trialling a process where Indigenous health workers take down a patient’s history and supplement this with photos to share with a city-based specialist.
“The health workers are on the ground and you’re helping to build capacity and leadership in the community,” he said.
“I just become the conduit to providing health care.”
He believes this model could help improve outcomes for Indigenous communities in remote areas.
Dr Kong hopes Gifting Day boosts the University of Newcastle’s efforts to support greater numbers of Indigenous researchers.
“This isn’t just about funding my research,” Dr Kong said.
“We’re talking about transformative change across the University – senior positions of leadership for Aboriginal people, recruiting and supporting Aboriginal academics.”
Gifting Day campus activities on March 9 will include live music, thank you stalls, an obstacle course challenge, a photo booth, guest speakers and a free barbecue.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Alex Zelinsky said Gifting Day would be devoted to addressing big challenges with even bigger ideas.
“We are excited about building a powerful movement to create positive change in our communities and beyond,” Professor Zelinsky said.
“I’m sure at times over the past two years people have felt helpless and uncertain about their future and for the future of generations to come.
“Gifting Day is an opportunity for us to all work together to shape a better tomorrow by building more connected communities, championing opportunities for all through equity, diversity and inclusion, supporting life-changing research and creating a sustainable tomorrow.”
“The heart of our work is local, but its reach is global.”
For more information on Gifting Day, to donate or get involved with the activities, visit giftingday.newcastle.edu.au
Hayley McMahon