Patriotic funds

The VVC, in partnership with Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV), the regulator of patriotic funds, provides advice to ex- service organisations on how patriotic funds can be raised and appropriately used, including transfer and winding up arrangements.

In June 2021, the VVC in partnership with CAV and Veterans Branch DFFH supported delivery of an information session for ex-service organisations on the administration of patriotic funds.

The VVC is the trustee for six patriotic funds which are administered in accordance with Part 4 of the Veterans Act 2005. In 2020-21 the VVC worked with partner organisations to formally review and renew the Memoranda of Understanding under which it distributes funds.

The Australian Legion of Ex-Servicemen and Women Scholarship Fund – Albert Coates Memorial Trust

The Australian Legion of Ex-Servicemen and Women Scholarship Fund, in association with the Albert Coates Memorial Trust provides funding for scholarships awarded to students who are studying courses for the training of paramedics, nurses and doctors in emergency care at Victorian universities.

In 2020-21, the VVC approved the disbursement of $14,000 to the Albert Coates Memorial Trust to allocate scholarships for Rural Emergency Nursing studies. In 2020-2021 recipients included Sarah Loria, James Blomberg, Tammy Lee Chatwin, Jeenmariam Lal, Alex Chua, Deepika Gunda and Wesley Teoh.

The Australian Legion of Ex-Servicemen and Women Scholarship Fund No 1 – Nurses Memorial Centre

The Fund, first established in August 2006, provides support for scholarship grants awarded on an annual basis to students undertaking post-graduate studies in care of the older person or Palliative Care at a recognised university. The Funds, administered by the VVC, are provided to the Australian Nurses Memorial Centre (ANMC) as the facilitator of the scholarships. In 2020-21, the VVC approved the disbursement of $30,000 to the ANMC for these scholarships.

On 12 March 2021 Roger Clifton represented the VVC at the ANMC Scholarship Awards which were held online. The Australian Legion of Ex-Servicemen and Women Scholarships were awarded to Tanya Frost, Elizabeth Bell, Annette Robinson and Kylie Alger.

The War Widows and Widowed Mothers Association Scholarship Fund

The Fund supports scholarships awarded by the Federation University Australia to students undertaking graduate or postgraduate study in the fields of nursing, palliative care, aged care or midwifery.

The Victorian Blinded Soldiers’ Welfare Patriotic Fund

Established in April 2013 from funds provided by the Blinded Soldiers’ Association and a letter bequest from the Estate of the Late Lucy Adamson, this Fund provides welfare assistance to visually impaired veterans and their dependants and offers assistance for former Australian Defence Force members who have visual impairment due to their service in defence of our nation.

The Extremely Disabled Association (EDA) Patriotic Fund

This Fund supported the now discontinued Victorian Veteran Community Story Writing and Art Competition, which was facilitated by Austin Health’s Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital.

Australian United Ex-Services Association Patriotic Fund

This Fund was established in 2015 for the purpose of providing funding for post-graduate study in the field of veterans’ health. A Memorandum of Understanding with Austin Health was signed in February 2016 to deliver the scholarships for training post-graduate students in Cognitive Processing Therapy with an associated year of supervision.