• Bathurst chapter of Student Paramedics Australasia donates $5000 raised at charity ball to Veritas House
• Support from local businesses helped raise $1829 and the paramedics club donated remaining $3171
• Student-led club has tradition of ‘charitable activities to give back to our community’

Charles Sturt University (Charles Sturt) students from the Bathurst chapter of Student Paramedics Australasia have raised $5000 for homeless and disadvantaged youth.

On Friday 20 September the paramedicine students hosted their annual Red and Blue Charity Ball at Bathurst’s Keystone Function Centre.

The event raises much-needed funds for locally-run charitable organisations, with this year’s recipient being Bathurst’s Veritas House: a community-based charity which provides a range of services to children, young people and families in the region.

The evening’s raffle of goods and services donated by local business raised $1829, with the Charles Sturt University Student Paramedics Australasia (CSUSPA) club kicking in a further $3171.

CSUSPA President Mr Jack Phillips said the donation continued a tradition of generosity within the University’s paramedicine ranks.

“We’re a student-led group that provides members with engaging and interesting events, and encourages charitable activities to give back to our community,” he said.

“The University’s ethos of yindyamarra winhanganha – the Wiradjuri phrase meaning ‘the wisdom of respectfully knowing how to live well in a world worth living in’ - speaks to the ideal of making the world a better place.

“Veritas House aspires to empower young people to reach their full potential, strengthen interpersonal, family and community relationships, and end the cycle of youth homelessness – all causes we are proud to support.”

Programs provided by Veritas House include youth specialist homeless services, permanency support or out-of-home (foster) care, non-placement support service, and targeted earlier intervention services.

Charles Sturt is Australia’s most experienced provider of paramedicine education, offering Graduate Diplomas, Graduate Certificates, Bachelor’s, Honours and Master’s courses.