Major Gifts
Philanthropy working for the environment VFFF has become one of the University’s most significant donors. In 1991, the UWS Hawkesbury Foundation received an initial donation of $1million from the VFFF to support the establishment of a Chair in Systems Agriculture and Rural Development. The late Sir Vincent Fairfax was a leading member of the business community who was passionate about issues concerning rural Australia. He was a philanthropist in life, and he established the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation to reflect his enduring values and vision. Throughout his life, Vincent was a firm believer that wealth and influence brought with them a responsibility to support the community, and in keeping with this philosophy the
Brian Lindsay from the Hawkesbury Foundation says that this gift was founded in a shared goal between the two Foundations for improving the wellbeing of Rural Australians. An additional $500,000 seed funding plus annual funding for the Chair position and related research has since been provided to support the continuing work of the
current Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation Chair, Professor Bill Belotti. To encourage the next generation of leaders in the Natural Science industry, the VFFF also offers an annual scholarship to support a student enrolled in an Agriculture, Environment or Animal Science related course at the UWS Hawkesbury campus. This year’s recipient Candice Skelton is passionate about the environment and with the support of the VFFF scholarship is encouraged to pursue a career in animal conservation after completing an Animal Science Degree.
‘I consider myself an environmentalist and with this scholarship I hope to follow a career in environment sustainability and animal conservation’ Candice Skelton
Above: the late Sir Vincent Fairfax. Below from left to right: Brian Lindsay, Candice Skelton and Emeritus Professor Richard Bawden.
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