Palliative Care clinicians across regional NSW are invited to further their learning and professional development through nine new scholarships, made possible by a heartfelt donation of more than $22,000 from Newcastle Permanent’s employees.
Applications are now open and will close on Friday 4th October with the recipients to be announced and invited to the upcoming Palliative Care NSW State Conference, to be held in Tamworth, where 250 clinicians are expected to attend.
The conference will be held on 31st November – 2nd November including 45 concurrent presentations, and seven keynote presentations, covering a range of topics including models of care, paediatrics, culturally sensitive care, communication, multidisciplinary team approaches, and technology in palliative care.
These scholarships come after Newcastle Permanent employee Taylah Vickers nominated Palliative Care NSW to receive a boost in funding through the customer-owned organisation’s Employee Donation Program.
Each year, Newcastle Permanent employees donate around $50,000 via payroll deductions and nominate charities for causes they are passionate about. Employees then vote to select four charities each year to receive funding.
Ms Vickers said the nomination, known as Penny’s Promise, was made in memory of a dear colleague and friend who lost her battle to cancer last year.
“I know a lot of people at Newcastle Permanent have great memories of Penny, and nominating a charity in her name for our Employee Donation Program was an easy choice. It’s a way for us, as the organisation where she worked for almost 25 years, to be part of Penny’s Promise and honour her memory,” she said.
“Penny had one last wish, which was to raise as many funds as possible to support the work of the Nelson Bay Community Specialist Palliative Care Service who made her final days comfortable for her family.
“I’m touched that our donation will directly support clinicians and go towards further education opportunities – that is what Penny would have wanted.”
Penny’s husband, Paul Heagney, said he was grateful to Newcastle Permanent for making the bequest possible.
“Newcastle Permanent was such a large part of Penny’s life. She developed lots of strong friendships with good people during her working days,” Mr Heagney said.
“The team at the Nelson Bay Community Specialist Care Service took such good care of Penny and our family, so to see Palliative Care NSW receive this funding feels like a shining light at the end of what has been a dark tunnel – you couldn’t find a better cause.”
Palliative Care NSW CEO, Kirsty Blades, said scholarships have a key role in supporting ongoing education and engaging the sector.
“We know that there is a great yearning for further education among clinicians right across regional NSW, but funding for this can be challenging for services and self-funding education can be cost prohibitive for clinicians, so we are thrilled to announce these scholarships thanks to the support of Newcastle Permanent,” Ms Blades said.
“We look forward to inviting the recipients to our upcoming conference where they can connect with their peers, and where we will be showcasing our sector, which continues to go above and beyond for palliative care patients and their families across the state.
“Along with our conference scholarships, Newcastle Permanent’s generous gift will allow us to provide additional education, self-care and wellbeing scholarships to the team at Nelson Bay Community Specialist Palliative Care Service who took such wonderful care of Penny and her family.”
Further information on scholarships and applications can be accessed HERE.
Available Scholarships
| Applicable Local Health District (LHD) | Number of Scholarships Available |
| Western LHD
|
2 (total value $2,500) |
| Central Coast LHD | 2 (total value $2,500) |
| Hunter New England LHD | 1 (total value $1,250) |
| Mid North Coast LHD | 2 (total value $2,500) |
| Northern NSW LHD | 2 (total value $2,500) |
Read related article about this heartfelt donation HERE
Also, listen to Kirsty Blades, Palliative Care NSW CEO interview by Paul Culliver from ABC Newcastle below: