Jennifer Pittorino
Western Chances chief executive Zac Lewis is one of 10 social entrepreneurs who have been chosen as this year’s Westpac Social Change Fellows, through Westpac Scholars Trust.
Western Chances support young people in the west who are facing financial barriers to achieve their potential by providing scholarships, opportunity programs and ongoing support.
Mr Lewis will receive $50,000 through the fellowship which he said will be used to expand and grow Western Chances to serve other regions in Victoria.
“This fellowship invests in leaders to grow and push beyond their limits and develop their capacity,” he said.
“I am super thrilled to receive a fellowship and massively thankful to Westpac for believing in me and our community.”
With the fellowship, Mr Lewis said the funds will be used to undertake executive education and a study tour in Australia and overseas to learn how to scale the impact of Western Chances.
“We want to be recognised so much more than being in community,” he said.
“We want our program to build a more inclusive and supportive community for our young people.”
“I want to understand how they’ve built their programs and I want to undertake some education for strategic management.
“These will be across a few trips next year which kick off with a social purpose summit that Westpac holds in Sydney in February.”
Westpac said the fellowship is a program that invests in the individuals who are tackling some of the country’s most challenging social issues, tailored to the individual.
Westpac Scholars Trust chief executive Amy Lyden said, “our Social Change Fellows are granted financial support, leadership development and networking opportunities to fast track their personal growth, which supports our belief that the key to fostering real transformation in communities is investment in the very people trying to lead this change.
“Zac Lewis from Western Chances is deeply committed to fostering social change evidenced by the strides he and his team have been making to give young people the chance to fulfil their potential.”
