Annual Report 2024
The year at A Start in Life, 2023/24
In November 2023, A Start in Life celebrated 100 years of helping students with their education, with past and present students, families and supporters at NSW Parliament House.
Support for students rose 4.6% to $852,378, the Career and Skills Development Scholarship welcomed twenty more students, and primary and secondary students averaged 95% attendance.
From the report of Neil Robinson, Chief Executive Officer, and Allan Elliott, President
Everything below comes from the 20-page report, written out here so it works with screen readers and search.
Student story
Benjamin, in Year 5, shines
Since support began in 2020, Benjamin's attendance has climbed and his homework routine has settled. His teacher now calls him a respectful, supportive and active learner. He has tried karate, drawing, chess and basketball, and his mum Jill says she feels less financial stress and more involved in his schooling.
Read April's story, one of the alumni celebrated in our centenary
The year at a glance
- given directly to students, up 4.6%
- $852,378
- average school attendance, primary and secondary students
- 95%
- average weighted mark for tertiary students
- 75.66
- primary and secondary students supported, alongside 40 tertiary students
- 68
Source: A Start in Life Annual Report 2024, pages 8, 10, 15, 16 and 17.
Primary and secondary students
- 306 of more than 370 subjects resulted in an A, B or C grade
- Average effort score of 4 out of 5
- Eight students achieved top 10 rankings in their year group or subjects
- 67% lived with a single parent, 78% of families in city areas and 22% in the country
Tertiary students
- 40 students at twelve universities and TAFEs
- One in two improved their weighted average mark
- 53% earned an academic bonus payment
- 15% graduated
- 285 subjects passed and only 7 failed
- Five work placements supported in law, engineering, cyber security and medicine
Financials
A Start in Life receives no government funding. Support for students is sustained by donors, partners and income from investments built up over a century.
| Item | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 1,595,864 | 1,485,896 |
| Student assistance | (852,378) | (814,525) |
| Fundraising | (133,957) | (94,189) |
| Marketing | (74,176) | (51,911) |
| Banking, investment and accounting | (122,998) | (121,262) |
| Depreciation | (18,392) | (6,131) |
| Office and administration | (109,172) | (86,062) |
| Total expenses | (1,311,073) | (1,174,080) |
| Surplus for the year | 284,791 | 311,816 |
| Gain/(loss) on revaluation of financial assets | 531,608 | 414,810 |
| Loss of fair value of properties in use | (130,000) | – |
| Total comprehensive income before allocations | 686,399 | 726,626 |
| Allocations from capital funds | 632 | 198 |
| Allocations to capital funds | (653,889) | (714,810) |
| Total comprehensive income after allocations | 33,142 | 12,014 |
| Item | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | 13,184,193 | 12,478,364 |
| Total liabilities | 312,978 | 294,118 |
| Net assets | 12,871,215 | 12,184,246 |
- Student assistance65%
- Fundraising10%
- Banking, investment and accounting9%
- Office and administration8%
- Marketing6%
- Depreciation1%
Share of total expenses of $1,311,073, from the statement of profit or loss.
Help the next student start strong
Every figure on this page began with a donor. A gift today helps a student from a family doing it tough stay at school and reach their goals.
31 December 2024
