Schools involvement boosts 2026 Red Shield Appeal
- 19 hours ago
- 3 min read
BY LAUREN MARTIN
As The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal draws to a close for another year, stories are emerging of Australians’ generosity, even amid the current cost-of-living crisis.
“Across the board, it looks like fewer people have given, but those that have given have given more,” said General Manager of Community Fundraising, Andrew Hill.
“Our collectors saw a huge response at the bucket, and as a collector myself, I couldn’t wait to get out there day after day because people were warm, generous, and they loved to see the Salvos out and about.”
He said this year he was blown away by the number of schools across Australia that partnered with the Salvos to get involved in the Red Shield Appeal.
“I saw primary school kids, high school kids in their uniforms, and they were out there collecting and being enthusiastic,” he said. “It inspired me that this – the Red Shield Appeal – it still works.
“People and kids are still doing their bit for an organisation that maybe they don’t completely understand, but they trust. And it’s our job to continue to tell the story.”
In Hobart, Tasmania, Year 12 students from The Hutchins School challenged themselves to run (or walk) continuously for 12 hours to raise money for Hobart Corps’ Red Shield Appeal. They completed over 23,000 laps around their school auditorium, covering 3000km.
Shieldy meets The Hutchins School mascot at a student run-a-thon to raise money for the Red Shield Appeal.
The school said students chose to support The Salvation Army because “it’s an organisation that shows up when people have nowhere else to run, whether it’s a meal, a safe place, or someone who simply listens.”
Tasmania Schools Engagement Program Leader, Ashleigh Cowell, said the story of The Hutchins School is a wonderful celebration of the bigger schools engagement story: “The Year 12 student leaders who chose the Salvos as the charity for the run-a-thon actually participated in Salvos Schools educational workshops when they were in Year 9 and subsequently volunteered at Hobart Corps’ Sunday Night Dinner.
“This is a great reminder of the power in planting seeds early and empowering young people to take action,” he said.
Ravenswood School for Girls in Sydney sent out 135 students, 11 staff and nine parent volunteers to collect in Sydney’s northern suburbs. Nearby, a record number of students from Ascham School in Sydney’s eastern suburbs raised $10,000 in their collection.
Research released by The Salvation Army on 24 June revealed that more than half of those surveyed (people seeking emergency relief) felt society didn’t care about their financial situation.
The results of this year’s Red Shield Appeal show that there are plenty of Australians who do care ... and thank God for that.
“Colonel Mark Campbell says that the Red Shield Appeal is God’s recurring big miracle,” said Andrew. “When our corps rally together and go out and ‘do their thing’, engaging with the community, the community responds, and through that, God provides.”
The final 2026 Red Shield Appeal collection figures will be made available in the upcoming Salvation Army annual report.
