By GARY FRY
WITH 3500 New England children to impress each year, there’s a lot of pressure on Healthy Harold and his team to look and perform their best.
Thanks to a $28,000 grant from the Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation, Harold’s home – Life Education NSW’s New England Mobile Learning Centre – has been given a significant makeover.
Foundation Chairman Michael Slater said the refurbishment would help maximise the impact Life Education’s programs had on young people in the New England by continuing the service through future years.
“The New England Life Education team works tirelessly to deliver preventative drug and health education to children and young people in Australia, including 3500 students from 29 schools in and surrounding Armidale,” Mr Slater said.
“This project was funded because it will help to change lives by empowering young people to make informed decisions about their health, and the fact that this Mobile Learning Centre is already is one of the most widely travelled in the state.”
Life Education Development Executive, Karen Yelverton said the refurbishment was comprehensive.
“With Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation’s generous funding we were able to undertake a full refurbishment of our van inside and out, including updates to the vehicle mechanics, audio visual systems and graphics,” Ms Yelverton said.
“There’s a lot of demand for the Northern Life Education Mobile Learning Centre, which is moved around the New England through the assistance of Armidale, Uralla, Guyra and Walcha Shire Councils.
The Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation celebrated its 10th anniversary this year. To date, the Charitable Foundation has provided over $11 million for almost 280 projects in regional NSW including over $800,000 in funding for local projects in the North West and New England regions.
The official opening of the refurbished facility yesterday featured students from St Mary of the Angels School in Guyra and Healthy Harold the giraffe, Life Education’s famous mascot.
