Newsletter Edition 1 – March 2026
EBMF – A Year of Achievements
It’s been 12 months since family and friends of the late Eleanor Bryant established a fund in her memory to support, mentor and train rural allied health professionals, particularly speech pathologists, the field which Eleanor was so passionate about.
In that time the fund has raised more than $300,000 following our inaugural fundraising event in Coonamble, combined with the significant and overwhelming generosity of so many people, families and businesses who believe in the importance of this cause and the impact we can make.
We’re pleased to be able to share an update on our projects, goals and future events from recent months, including details of our exciting gala event to be held in Melbourne in November.
Eleanor was determined, driven and always 100 per cent committed to a cause. In that vein, the EBMF is unwavering in its mission to raise awareness of the huge disparity in accessing paediatric speech and behavioural therapies in rural areas, encouraging more young aspiring professionals to choose speech pathology as a career and supporting those already in the sector through professional development and mentoring. There’s so much to do, but together with your support we are already making an impact.
First Scholarship Recipients Announced
We start the new year with the exciting announcement of three inaugural recipients of the EBMF scholarships.
In partnership with the Country Education Foundation, the EBMF is supporting three rural students with the cost of studying allied health, with a particular focus on supporting children.
The scholarship will be awarded each year to motivated regional students who are undertaking tertiary studies in this field.
Eleanor was deeply passionate about ensuring children, regardless of their postcodes, had access to high-quality speech therapy.
The partnership with the CEF has been a significant milestone for the fund, and the awarding of scholarships was our first major goal. We are thrilled to be able to honour Eleanor’s legacy and support not just one, but three worthy recipients.
The first of our deserving Eleanor Bryant Memorial Scholarship recipients is Mia O’Neill.
This year Mia will move away from her regional home in north-east New South Wales to embark on a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) at the University of Newcastle.
After completing the HSC, Mia took a gap year where she worked full-time at a physiotherapy and rehabilitation clinic. This work experience has given her a wealth of knowledge in the allied health sector.
Having displayed an innate sense of community by volunteering at early childhood centres in her area, Mia aspires to become a paediatric speech pathologist so that she can utilise her skills “to bridge the communication developmental gaps between rural and metropolitan children, assisting children of all backgrounds in gaining confidence through speech.”
Together with the CEF, we are delighted to support Mia on her allied health professional journey.
Congratulations Mia!
With a long-term career goal of bringing more occupational therapy opportunities to regional areas, we are thrilled to present Nathan Hodgson as our next Eleanor Bryant Memorial Scholarship recipient.
2026 will see Nathan going into his third year of a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy at Charles Sturt University, Albury-Wodonga campus.
We wish Nathan all the very best in his final two years of study and look forward to supporting him in his future endeavours.
Congratulations Nathan!
Georgia Rackham is our third Eleanor Bryant Memorial Scholarship recipient.
Entering into her 4th and final year of a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy at Charles Sturt University, Port Macquarie Campus, Georgia has been recognised for her dedication and commitment to her studies.
As a born and raised Coonamble girl, Georgia’s long-term career plan is to return to work rurally and looks forward to exploring different opportunities.
On behalf of the CEF and the EBMF, we congratulate Georgia!
Save the Date – Our first Bush Summit
June 15 & 16, Coonamble NSW
‘Bridging the gap in Children’s health services’ is the theme behind the inaugural Eleanor Bryant Memorial Health Fund’s Bush Summit – a forum for teachers, parents, carers, therapists, educators and allied health experts to gather and work towards improving access to healthcare services in rural areas.
The Bush Summit follows the success of last year’s behavioural support workshop which identified major roadblocks in accessing timely and targeted paediatric speech services, and the impact that is having on patient outcomes and their learning.
The inaugural summit will focus on access, implementation and impact. See the Eleanor Bryant Memorial Fund website for more details.
Donations
In just our first year, our inaugural fundraiser and affiliated events helped raise approximately $300,000 to kickstart our mission to make children’s allied health services more accessible for rural families. The success of our inaugural fundraiser in Coonamble last year was also made possible by generous donations of art and other auction items, meat, food and alcohol for the event, livestock and meat for our sheep drive and meat raffle, venue hire, and so much more. We appreciate the many facets of support that helped officially launch the fund.
Since our incredible event in September, the ongoing support from the business and corporate sector has been overwhelming, alongside donations from across the country from people who knew Eleanor, as well those who just believe in the work the fund is trying to support.
The EBMF has been officially established through the Australian Communities Foundation, with all donations tax deductable. You can donate by clicking here.
RUNNING for EJ
One of Eleanor’s true loves was running – from casual park runs to major marathons, Eleanor had been a devoted runner from the time she was a young girl.
Last year a ‘Run for EJ’ team entered the Great Ocean Road Marathon in May, calling for donations for the newly created EBMF. The same team is gearing up again for another marathon in 2026. Keep an eye on our socials page for more details.
Eleanor’s cousin Amy Simpson just completed the Port Fairy Half Marathon in Eleanor’s memory - a mid air jump was always taken whenever Eleanaor completed a matharon. You can check out Amy's journey in running this marathon here #apsimmo
Memorial Garden at Riddells Creek
On November 11, 2025 – one year on from Eleanor’s death – the Macedon Ranges community came together to remember Eleanor and honoured her memory by planting a memorial tree and unveiling a plaque, paying tribute to her life and her selfless act of courage and bravery the day she died.
The Riddells Creek community has been a tower of strength to Eleanor’s husband Tim and their children, and we look forward to watching the tree thrive in its new surroundings in the new memorial garden at Riddells Creek. <abc.news>
Gala event Melbourne – November 2026
Preliminary plans are coming together for our second major fundraising event, this time in Melbourne in November.
When: Friday, 13 November 2026
Where: The Roof Garden of the Club Stand at Flemington Racecourse
Theme: a touch of spring racing colour
More information to come...
