Weis Community Fund supports next generation of Darling Downs agri-leaders

19 January 2024

Agricultural leaders from the Darling Downs will share in a massive $38,000 in grants as the latest recipients of the Weis Community Fund, announced today.

Funded by Unilever and administered by the Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation, the Weis Community Fund was created in 2022 to support charitable organisations in building a stronger Darling Downs region.

After a thorough selection process, grants have been awarded to the following beneficiaries:

University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) – Darling Downs Grower Workshops. Over two days, experts from UniSQ’s Centre for Crop Health work with local growers and agronomists to provide information and skills to reduce the impact of soilborne nematodes and fungal diseases on crop production.

Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF): Australian Rural Leadership Program Scholarship. This scholarship offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a Darling Downs agri-food leader to develop their leadership capability, so they act beyond themselves, work with others and facilitate change for positive impact on communities in the region. The scholarship is co-funded by the Weis Community Fund and ARLF alumni donors.

Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation Executive Officer Paul Olds said both ARLF and UniSQ had strong track records in the Darling Downs agri-sector and supported their program participants to become valued contributors in the community. 

“This year, available grant funding increased by $13,000 which has allowed us to give even more back to support these very worthy organisations,” Mr Olds said.

“ARLF was one of the Weis Community Fund’s inaugural beneficiaries last year. We’re delighted to see this relationship continue, this time by funding a life-changing scholarship for Darling Downs locals to their flagship program – the Australia Rural Leadership Program. 

“The workshops run by UniSQ provide practical and hands-on experience, working directly with local farmers and agronomists on how to test and manage their crops to increase their yields and reduce further infection across multiple crops.

“While both very different in their approaches, both UniSQ and ARLF’s programs focus on strengthening the Darling Downs agri-sector, which is the core of the Weis Community Fund.”

The Weis Community Fund continues the legacy left behind by the Weis Ice Cream factory’s 60-year tenure in Toowoomba, where the company had its beginnings. The grant funding supports programs that lead to employment, innovation, sustainable farming practices and the development of the next generation of local entrepreneurs in the agri-foods sector. To ensure the grants principally flow to the Toowoomba region and surrounds, selected initiatives are located in Toowoomba, Lockyer Valley, Southern Downs and Western Downs.

Image caption: Heritage Bank Charitable Foundation Executive Officer Paul Olds with Dr Kirsty Owen (left) Dr Cassy Percy, University of Southern Queensland. Credit: Luke Stephenson, University of Southern Queensland Media.