Moranbah Secondary College has once again received a generous donation from the AMWU for their Students at Risk Program.

AMWU members at the Goonyella Riverside mine in the Bowen Basin, Central Queensland, gives an annual donation of $5000 to the program, which aims to help students who may not be able to finish their schooling due to personal circumstances or financial difficulties.

AMWU Goonyella Riverside delegate Mark Johnstone says that the union members are happy to help as they know that there are a lot of people in the town ‘doing it tough’.

“If we can help a student or a couple of students finish school who might otherwise have not been able to, then it’s worthwhile.”

The program receives no government funding and relies on donations and scholarships. The funds donated by the workers will be used to purchase uniforms and books and pay for school camps and other associated costs of schooling.

Mr Johnstone presented the cheque to Christine MacFarlan of Moranbah and District Support Services. Ms MacFarlan was delighted with the money, saying the program had not received this level of funding for a number of years.

"At the end of the day, the money is going to the kids and our members are happy to pick up the funding for that," Mr Johnstone said.

The Goonyella Mine members of the AMWU have been giving to the program for the last ten years since one of the school councillors approached the workers and asked them to help out.

The workers also support the MS Society, the Leukaemia Foundation, Cerebral Palsy and the Central Queensland Helicopter Rescue Service by giving them each an annual $5000 donation.