Edge Hill State School students have become road safety educators in a series of innovative videos designed to make the school run safer for the entire community.

With over 860 students traveling to and from the school each day and more than 400 vehicles using drop-off and pick-up zones, the school identified a need to improve road safety practices around the campus.

Deputy Principal Ngari Abbott said safety for students and all those around the school, which has operated at its current location since 1940, was always important.

It’s only a few weeks until the Buderim Community Carols will once again herald the beginning of the Christmas season.

This year’s event, presented by the Buderim War Memorial Community Association (BWMCA) with the support of Buderim Bendigo Community Bank, will be held on Sunday, 14th December 2025, from 5.30pm, at the Buderim Village Park, Church Street, Buderim. The BWMCA Carols Committee has been working for months planning the event, which promises to be the best yet.

In a powerful demonstration of community supporting community, the Buderim Foundation is today hosting its inaugural Thompson Charitable Fund Grants Celebration at the Buderim War Memorial Hall, to award $372,200 in life-changing grants to organisations supporting those in need across the region.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli is joining Buderim Foundation chairman Rick Woods, grant recipients, Foundation volunteers, and community champions at the event, which honours the generosity of Roy and Nola Thompson, who established the fund. The event celebrates the three local organisations providing a lifeline to people facing their toughest moments.

Five grants totalling $372,200 are being awarded to grassroots organisations addressing homelessness, domestic violence, and financial hardship across the Sunshine Coast and Noosa regions, support that will help local families and individuals find stability, hope, and a path forward.

The new 2025 Grant Recipients include:

• $112,200 to SunnyKids – $44,200 to provide essential equipment and goods in new transitional housing, helping people rebuild their lives with dignity and $68,000 for a program supporting people in necessitous circumstances
• $160,000 to Aus Living Support – $45,000 for its School Aid program – ensuring local children don’t miss out on education, and $115,000 for its Rental Supplement Program and Bond Aid Program, keeping families in homes and preventing homelessness
• $100,000 to Gateway Care to provide food vouchers to provide immediate relief for people in crisis

Today’s celebration marks the first official recognition of the Thompson Charitable Fund’s impact since its establishment – a fund born from one couple’s deep commitment to their community and designed to support the most vulnerable among us.

Buderim Foundation chairman Rick Woods, who is presenting the cheques at today’s celebration, said the Thompson Charitable Fund embodies the spirit of community looking after community.

“The Thompson Charitable Fund was created to address some of the most pressing needs in our community – supporting people experiencing homelessness, domestic violence, and financial hardship across the Sunshine Coast and Noosa,” Mr Woods said.

“Through the incredible generosity of Roy and Nola Thompson, local people are helping local people in their hours of need. These grants enable our partner organisations to provide emergency accommodation, essential goods, rental assistance, and support services that can make the difference between crisis and stability for families and individuals doing it tough.

“What moves me most is that this is our community rallying around our neighbours who need help. The Foundation is proud to work alongside organisations like SunnyKids, Aus Living Support, and Gateway Care who are on the frontline every day, providing not just practical help but genuine hope to those who need it most.”