What’s Happening?
Withcott State School has finished first in Grand Central’s 2026 Shop for Your School campaign.
The annual campaign asked shoppers to enter receipts from Grand Central purchases and assign points to a chosen school.
Grand Central presented the winning cheque during a special school assembly this week. Withcott will use the funding for an LED sign at the front of the school.
Why It Matters
The funding allows Withcott State School to complete a project it has pursued for about five years.
Principal Lyndal Symonds thanked the school community for allocating its shopping points to Withcott during the campaign.
“This has been an amazing win for us, we are so excited to be announced as the winners,” she said.
“We are going to allocate this funding to an LED Sign for the front of the school. This is something we have been trying to purchase for about five years so it will make a huge difference to us.”
Local Impact
The LED sign will provide families with another way to receive school news and important updates.
“Communication with our families is so important and this will just add another layer to assist them with knowing what’s happening at Withcott State School,” Ms Symonds said.
The benefit will extend beyond the school, with local groups also able to advertise on the sign.
“This really is a win for the whole community; we are going to open it up for local community organisations to advertise on the signage as well.”
By the Numbers
- The six-week campaign involved 11 schools and attracted thousands of entries from Grand Central shoppers.
- Grand Central described the prize pool as $33,000, with Withcott State School receiving $15,000 for first place.
- Mater Dei Primary School received $10,000 for second, while Wilsonton State School took $5,000 for third.
- Bunker’s Hill State School received $3,000 for fourth, while Rockville State School took $1,000 for fifth.
Zoom In
Grand Central Marketing Manager Sara Kenealy congratulated Withcott State School and every school that took part.
“We would also like to sincerely thank every parent, teacher and community member who contributed by allocating their shopping points to each of our 11 participating schools,” she said.
“The enthusiasm and support shown throughout the campaign made it a great success and demonstrated the incredible support local families have for their schools.
“The response to this year’s Shop for Your School campaign was fantastic. We saw thousands of entries from shoppers who were passionate about supporting education in our local community.”
Zoom Out
Grand Central thanked all participating schools for making Shop for Your School 2026 another memorable and successful community initiative.
“Grand Central is proud to support so many local schools and demonstrate our community commitment to our region,” Ms Kenealy said.
Details about upcoming events are available through the Grand Central website.
What To Look For Next?
Withcott State School will put the prize towards the LED sign it has sought for about five years.
Once installed, it will share school updates with families and notices from local community organisations.
