The Royal Flying Doctor Service Victoria has signed a three-year partnership agreement with Cooper Energy’s Legacy Foundation.
Cooper Energy is Australia’s first carbon neutral domestic gas producer, and their Legacy Foundation supports projects related to three key themes: education, health and sustainability.
“With a committed presence and connection to the far reaches of Victoria, Cooper Energy highly values the work of the RFDS,” says David Maxwell, Managing Director and CEO, Cooper Energy. “We are pleased to form a partnership to support the continued safety and good health of Victorians. Companies rarely have the opportunity to see such tangible benefits from the support they provide. We are privileged to be working with such a valued partner in creating future options for rural and regional Victorians.”
While the RFDS operates state-wide, this multi-year partnership will be focused at the nexus of Cooper Energy’s and RFDS’s operations in the Otway and Gippsland communities.
A chronic shortage of health care services and medical professionals in remote and rural Victoria means health problems go unchecked and can escalate and people must travel long distances to access specialist care. Part of Cooper Energy’s support will go towards the excellent ‘Give Them Wings’ scholarships, which offer financial assistance to first year university students from regional and rural Victoria who are studying nursing or allied health. These scholarships recognise the added expenses that students from remote locations often face when studying to help them complete their course and ultimately return to the country to continue their professional career.
Mental health clinicians in East Gippsland have identified community members who would be willing to access telehealth services and cannot connect due to a lack of digital technology. Cooper Energy’s funding will help purchase tablet devices to offer telehealth services, including to clients needing mental health support following the bushfires.
A Wellbeing Education Road Show will also be delivered to schools and community groups located in bushfire affected areas, and will feature the Flight Simulator currently used in our Look! Up in the Sky education program.
“The Flying Doctor remains vital to rural and remote communities,” says RFDS Victoria Chief Executive, Scott Chapman. “It takes innovation and agility to deliver our services, bolstered by our dedicated partners who helped us to meet the extraordinary challenges of 2020.”
We are pleased to partner with an organisation with values so closely aligned to our own. Cooper Energy shares our dedication to supporting regional and communities, and we look forward to continuing to support the health and wellbeing of country Victorians together.
