Bruce Simpson, of Deniliquin, died following an anaphylactic reaction in early 2024, leaving a great void within his family, the wider Riverina community, and throughout the many fields that benefited from his representative and advocacy work.
His family, in collaboration with the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation, launched the scholarship fund in Deniliquin to honour his contribution to the rural communities of the Riverina and nearby districts.
Specifically, the scholarship aims to reflect the importance of Bruce's advocacy, leadership and passion for agriculture in Australia and beyond, and ensure that it continues into the future.
The goal is to build a $2 million endowment to fund the Bruce Simpson Rural Scholarship annually and in perpetuity, supporting participation in the ARLF’s flagship Australian Rural Leadership Program.
The ARLP is Australia’s longest and most in-depth experiential leadership program designed to build leadership capability in people in rural, regional and remote Australia.
It’s delivered over 15 months across multiple sessions including four face-to-face sessions across the country and internationally.
“What drew us to aligning this initiative to the ARLF is that they have the know-how of building future leaders in this country,” Bruce’s twin brother John Simpson said.
“We want to equip people with the skills, confidence and ability to represent not just themselves, but their communities, instilling leadership skills is vitally important to bring about change.”
Bruce himself had gone through the Australian Rural Leadership Program at 41, which gave him a push to be an advocate for regional Australia.
The scholarship is also historic in that it’s the first time individuals have seeded a fund, that has traditionally been supported by corporates and philanthropy.
Bruce’s children, Charlie and Lucy, along with John, will have hands-on involvement each year in the selection of applicants.
“Bruce always put himself in positions where he kept learning. He knew you never stop learning,” Bruce’s wife Shandra Simpson said.
“For future scholarship recipients, I just hope they grow from their ARLP experience like Bruce grew from his and embrace that learning.”
In Bruce’s own words, in an ARLF interview five years ago, “be strong in your belief that you’re there to lead for change”.
For more information on the scholarship fund and how to donate, visit: https://donate.rural-leaders.org.au/
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