Canon Oceania & The Smith Family charity launch partnership

Canon Oceania has announced a new Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partnership with Australia's foremost national children's education charity, The Smith Family.

The partnership aims to provide educational support to disadvantaged children across Australia and echoes Canon's Kyosei philosophy of living and working together for the common good.

Over a three-year duration, Canon will invest $50,000 annually, benefitting 75 students from kindergarten to Year 10. This contribution will go towards the charity's Learning for Life sponsorship programme, granting these students and their families access to financial, personal, and practical educational support.

Beyond the monetary investment, Canon employees are set to offer additional support and volunteer across a range of The Smith Family's activities. As part of this commitment, they will partake in the charity's iTrack mentoring programme, offering one-on-one online mentoring to students in Years 9 and 11 over an 18 week period. These sessions aim to provide practical advice about the workplace, study options and career pathways.

Managing Director of Canon Oceania, Kotaro Fukushima, expressed delight over the partnership, stating: "We are honoured to partner with The Smith Family to support the great work they do across the country, making lasting impacts on the lives of disadvantaged children and families. We are huge supporters of giving all young Australians equal access to education." He explained that this shared vision with The Smith Family resonates deeply with Canon's Kyosei philosophy.

Emphasising the long-term aspiration of Canon Oceania, Mr. Fukushima added: "We hope to continue to grow over the next 50 years and, as a sign of our gratitude to the community, we would like to help provide more opportunities to young people who will be a key part of the future. Through this partnership with The Smith Family, we have an opportunity to make a lasting impact on the lives of young Australians in need."

The Smith Family's CEO Doug Taylor shared these sentiments, affirming that the new partnership will allow the charity to deliver its evidence-based programmes to more students, giving them the opportunity to shape their own future. Mr. Taylor added, "This partnership will further support our initiatives to make a lasting difference in the education of young Australians, and it will also provide us with greater opportunities to create awareness of the impact of poverty on educational outcomes across the nation."

Over the last 17 years, Canon Oceania has supported over 100 schools, not-for-profits, and community groups with $50,000 in assistance, both monetary and product-related. Furthermore, it has partnered with OzHarvest's Community CookOff fundraiser to aid more than 1,900 charities across the country.