With the support of Gold Fields’ Australia Foundation, St Barbara Limited and Saracen Mineral Holdings, Shooting Stars officially launched its eighth site in Western Australia.
Leonora will be Shooting Stars’ first program based in the Goldfields, located 833 km northeast of Perth and will engage up to 35 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls from years 4-10 at Leonora District High School.
The site is generously supported by a number of financial and community contributors, with a recent generous boost by the Gold Fields Australia Foundation.
“The Gold Fields Australia Foundation is proud to be able to assist Shooting Stars in bringing this initiative to the Gold Fields commencing with the Leonora program. We are confident that the program will achieve the positive attendance and learning outcomes already seen in other regions,” said Gold Fields Australia Foundation Chairman, Alex Munt.
Another significant financial partnership was formed with gold mining company, St Barbara Limited, playing a key role in establishing the Leonora site, and which will also support the Shooting Stars program over the next three years.
St Barbara Limited’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Bob Vassie said he was pleased to join with nearby gold mining company Saracen Mineral Holdings to establish the Shooting Stars program at Leonora and has already seen a sustainable impact.
“St Barbara believes that mining is a positive force for social and economic development for local communities.
“Shooting Stars stands out as a way to make a positive difference not just to the girls directly involved in the program, but also to their families and the wider Leonora community,” said Mr Vassie.
Shooting Stars’ Executive Officer Fran Haintz said the opening of the latest site was another milestone in what has been a positive year.
“It’s fantastic to see Shooting Stars open its first program in Western Australia’s Goldfields and on the Kuwarra people’s country.
“The way the community of Leonora has welcomed our program, along with essential corporate support has been outstanding,” Ms Haintz said.
“These investments from Saracen Mineral Holdings, St Barbara’s Limited and Gold Fields’ Australian Foundation have been essential in the inception and continued support of our Lenora site.
“I would also like to thank Rock on Ground for their backing as a community partner, as we aspire to encourage more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls within Leonora to embrace their education. Shooting Stars has a goal to work with 20 schools by the end of 2021,” Ms Haintz continued.
The Shooting Stars’ Leonora site will be known as Leonora Lightning, with the name reflective of a powerful and strong force of nature, which is what the program encourages young women to be.
The uniform dress was also unveiled today, a group project between the participants, with the colours representative of the rich colours found in Leonora, with the earthy reds and bold blues of the sky meeting together.
About Shooting Stars
An initiative of Netball WA and Glass Jar Australia, Shooting Stars is an educational program that uses netball and other tools as vehicles to achieve its primary vision of increasing school attendance rates for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls living in WA’s remote communities and regional towns.
The program now boasts more than 350 students across eight delivery sites, with an average attendance improvement of 18% across the board, while 60% of participants maintain an average attendance rate of 80% or above. The Program is a key driver in creating equality for female leaders and generational change, with 85% of its staff and 50% of its Board identifying as Indigenous.
To find out more about the program, visit www.shootingstars.com.au