Community & Business
31 October, 2025
Savvy school program for Mareeba
MAREEBA has been included in an annual program that helps parents with the costs of sending their kids to school.
From books and backpacks to haircuts and hats, Centacare FNQ’s School Savvy program has spent a decade getting students back to school in style and will launch its 2026 season under the theme “Our Village, Their Future”.
The milestone 10th anniversary was officially celebrated on Monday when Bishop Joseph Caddy AM, Centacare FNQ Executive Director Anita Veivers, and supporters gathered at The Bishop’s House Verandah in Cairns to mark a decade of community impact.
Since its beginnings in 2016, School Savvy has grown into a region-wide initiative that has supported 14,429 students and 6,702 families, provided 756 free haircuts, and hosted 25 pop-up shops across Far North Queensland.
In January 2025 alone, the program assisted 1,257 families and 2,736 students, providing 248 free haircuts and easing cost-of-living pressures for local households.
Looking ahead to the 2026 school year, School Savvy will expand its reach by launching new pop-up shops in Mareeba and Tully, in addition to its existing outlets in Cairns, Innisfail, Atherton, Edmonton, Trinity Park, and Mossman.
Centacare FNQ Executive Director Anita Veivers said the “village” theme is more than a slogan, it reflects the way the program works in practice.
“When we say it takes a village, we mean every single person who helps — the donors who drop off uniforms, the volunteers who give their time, the hairdressers who cut a child’s hair, and the parents who stand beside each other in line,” she said.
“School Savvy was founded on the belief that no child should miss out on learning because they don’t have the basics.
“For 10 years, it has been our community’s way of walking alongside families so every child can step into school feeling equal, confident, and ready to learn.
“Every ‘small’ act, from donating a pencil case to volunteering an hour of time, combines to create a life-changing impact. That’s certainly ‘big’.
Centacare FNQ is calling on the community to donate pre-loved or new uniforms, backpacks, stationery, lunchboxes, water bottles, and other essentials, helping ensure every child can start the school year with dignity and pride.
The Mareeba School Savvy pop-up will be on 20 January 2026 from 11am-2pm at the Mareeba Sports Hall in Walsh Street, while the Atherton pop-up will be on 16 January from 11am-2pm at the VPG, 5 Comet Ave, Atherton.
Donations can be dropped at Vinnies in Mareeba or the Mareeba Community Centre, and at Atherton VPG and Vinnies.
