Derby men win Churchill grants

Two Derby men have become part of an elite group that will carry out vital research into indigenous matters ranging from managing money to social issues and education.

Derby District High School principal Paul Bridge and Kimberley Land Council Willinggin indigenous protected area co-ordinator Samuel Bayley are two of just 109 selected nationwide for a Winston Churchill Fellowship.

The fellowships — with an average value of $20,000 — are awarded in areas of study from health, music and indigenous research, first aid and educational programs.

Recipients have the opportunity to travel overseas to further their passion and return to Australia to implement and share their findings with others.

Mr Bridge, 45, said he intended to visit Canada and the United States next year to carry out research.

“I think it’s a real honour to win an award like this to build my knowledge and skills through this study, which the Churchill Fellowships provide,” he said.

“I will be looking at ways schools can better support male Aboriginal students and looking at different types of programs to cater for them.

My target group is for Aboriginal boys and young men.”

Mr Bridge’s project will address challenges facing indigenous men and their capacity to support their children into the future, and how schools can help support successful models.

He aims to overcome their resistance to engagement and to find ways to work more effectively with parents and other caregivers to prepare and equip boys and youth with abilities required to find a place and make a personal space in a range of social situations.

“This leads to enjoying self-care, to learning how to learn and to be of assistance to others,” he said. Mr Bayley will investigate key factors that enable indigenous communities to successfully manage natural resources and increase social capital.

He will visit Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Canada as part of his study.

“Each of the recipients has demonstrated a desire to further develop their expertise so they can use the resulting skills and knowledge in a way that will benefit the wider Australian community,” Winston Churchill Memorial Trust chief executive Paul Tys said.

The trust was established after the death of Sir Winston Churchill in accordance with his final wishes.