A Sporting Chance
Our Partnership with Lord’s Taverners Northern NSW
For over a decade, Lord’s Taverners Northern NSW (Lord Tavs) has been a vital force in our community, dedicated to giving young and disadvantaged people a sporting chance in life. What began with a focus on cricket has grown into a diverse regional service that supports hundreds of individuals across sport, education, and local disaster recovery.
Bridging the Gap in Education
While their roots are in sport, Lord Tavs recognised a critical need: supporting students whose dreams might fall over in the final stretch of their studies. The Seaton Foundation is proud to support their Further Education Program, which provides scholarships and grants to TAFE and Southern Cross University students facing significant hardship.
These grants offer more than just financial aid; they provide the buffer students need to stay focused:
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Professional Tools: Ensuring apprentice chefs and fashion students have the high-quality kits required for their trades.
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Reliability: Helping students maintain roadworthy cars for travel between work and study.
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Technology: Providing essential laptops and computers for vocational training.
Recent TAFE Resilience Awards have supported remarkable survivors, including a young chef navigating life beyond a violent household and students whose homes were devastated by the 2022 floods.
A Sporting Chance for All
Lord Tavs continues to power a wide variety of sporting initiatives that build confidence and connection across the Northern Rivers:
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Local Champions: Their individual grant programme—the largest in its 15-year history this past year—supported athletes across 12 different sports, from karate and swimming to AFL and rugby league.
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Community Spirit: We have partnered on diverse projects like the Solomon Island Futsal team and the Northern Rivers Football Academy, providing uniforms and equipment that help young athletes compete with pride.
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All-Abilities Sport: Lord Tavs coordinates weekly activities and specialised equipment for students at Biala Special School, including wheelchair sports and new outdoor gear. They have held three “Come and Try” sport days for the vision impaired, adapting sport so that more people can participate and socialise in a supportive environment.
Resilience Through the Floods
Following the 2022 floods, the commitment of Lord Tavs was unwavering. In a joint effort with the Seaton Foundation, over $50,000 was committed to help regional schools and pre-schools replace lost outdoor and sporting equipment. This support allowed students from schools like Mullumbimby and Broadwater to return to the fields and even compete in state championships.
Whether through a scholarship in the kitchen or a new soccer kit on the field, Lord’s Taverners ensures that no young person in our region has to face their challenges without a team behind them.
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Most TAFE graduates find employment either during their course or soon after... relatively small grants can make an enormous difference
Lord’s Taverners Northern NSW