Scholarships give local students a step toward higher education

Bendigo Bank’s Deloraine branch continues to play a central role in supporting the Meander Valley, with its grants and scholarships programs delivering practical benefits across the region while welcoming a new branch manager with strong local ties.

New branch manager, David Elliott hasn’t been in the role for long, but his connection to the town runs deeper. Having previously trained at the Deloraine branch, Elliott said returning felt natural. “I love the community, love the team. That’s what brought me back,” he says.

With four young children and a wide local network, Elliott is keen to be visible beyond the branch doors. “We walked through the Deloraine Show and I would’ve talked to seven or eight people I knew,” he says. “It really does feel like that, just being out and about.”

One of the most significant ways the branch supports the region is through its annual grants program. In Elliott’s first week, close to $150,000 was distributed at the grants night. Community organisations from across the district received funding for projects ranging from infrastructure upgrades to wellbeing initiatives.

Among the recipients was the Meander Progress Association, which received $55,000 to begin restoration work on a historic local church. The Chudleigh Agricultural and Horticultural Society was also supported, receiving funding to upgrade its long standing food kiosk. Mental health and community support organisations were included as well.

Anne Harvey, who has served as board chair for thirteen years and has just stepped down, said the grants program is central to the community banking model. “We give people money, but we expect something back,” she says. “It might be that they consider moving their accounts to us, or it might be that they promote us somehow.”

Education support is another long term focus. The branch offers scholarships and bursaries for local students moving into higher education. Recipients are “all good candidates. They got good ATARs,” Harvey says. “It’s nice if they are successful and go out of the district and then come back. We’ve had quite a few that have.”

For Elliott, the combination of financial services and community investment is what defines the role. “We’re really making a big difference to the community,” he says. “I feel lucky to be part of it.”