The Sustainers Program

The ASF was established in 1985 in recognition of the devotion of Arthur Shakespeare, founder of the Canberra Times and extraordinary civic leader, to Scouting. His vision was for young people from all walks of life to be given the opportunity to develop the skills, enthusiasm and qualities of leadership to improve the fabric of our society, through Scouting.

The ASF focusses on delivering long-term benefit to Scouting in the ACT by funding projects that would otherwise be beyond the ACT Branch to provide. The ASF's initiatives include:

1. Capital works projects at Camp Cottermouth and Scout Halls.
2. Annual grants to help Venturer Scouts and Rover Scouts to attend national or international Scouting events (The Hohnen Award and the Deeble Award).
3. Annual grants to help individuals or teams develop projects or participate in activities which promote their personal growth, support the community, or benefit the Scout movement (The Heather Shakespeare Award).
4. Grants to the Scouts ACT Scout Fund which provides financial assistance to families on the principle that no young person should be denied Scouting opportunities on economic grounds.
5. Operating grants to support the provision of member services.