The Barwon Group of the Country Women's Association believes so much in supporting home-grown talent into health-based careers they've been backing local students for 27 years.

In 2025, ten more university students from the Walgett shire have been selected for the latest round of the Barwon Group Medical Grant.

The annual grant aims to give rural medical students a leg up and this round shared $35,000 between 14 students in the Walgett and Narrabri shires.

One of them is first-time recipient Sophie Sendall, who is from Burren Junction and says she is passionate about rural healthcare.

She said that her $4500 can help pay the rent as she undergoes her studies in medicine at Charles Sturt University, which includes two years in the classroom in Orange and another three on placement.

"Those three years of unpaid placement will definitely take a big toll on my time and availability to work and trying to fit in a job," she said.

"Within those three years, you can also be relocated.

"One week you may be in Port Macquarie, and then the next rotation you may be down in Swan Hill.

Sophie recently completed her first year at Charles Sturt University. [IMAGE: supplied] 

"That's obviously a huge distance, so this grant would obviously definitely help with easing that travel cost, those travel costs, as well as equipment and textbooks and other further tuition."

Sophie hopes to stay in Orange for her placement, where she has completed the first year of her double degree.

It isn't set in stone, but the 19-year-old has a mind to returning to bush communities like her home town.

At least 73 students have received the grants since they began in 1998, many more than once and several for the duration of their course.

This year, a panel of four people carried out a video interview with the applicants to decide how many people receive a grant ranging between $750 an $4500.

They applied via over six weeks between July and September.

Two of the Walgett Shire recipients are first-timers.

On the opposite end, Lightning Ridge-raised medicine student Hareem Sohail is receiving the grant for the sixth time as she takes on placement at Nepean Hospital in Penrith while living in Sydney's inner west.

Like Sophie, she said the grant will help support her during placement when she can't work.

"I guess it's a way for me to stay in touch with the community as well. Through here, you see some familiar faces, see some familiar names, every time the email pops around," Hareem said.

"It's good to see that there is a bit of a leg up for rural students. There's so much advantage metropolitan students have, which you see once you get here. So, it's nice to see something like this is continuing to happen."

Lightning Ridge-raised Hareem Sohail also received the grant. 

The recipients for 2025 are:

• Alice Berry, Rowena – Social work

• Amber Coleman, Rowena – Nursing

• Sarah Ellison, Walgett – Social science

• Lacey Evans, Wee Waa - Nursing

• Grace Hopcroft, Walgett – Child & family health nursing (post grad.)

• Caitlin Kable, Wee Waa – Occupational therapy

• Joe Madden, Wee Waa – Physiotherapy

• Jemima Powell, Burren Junction – Occupational therapy

• Isobel Pye, Walgett, Masters of Medicine (skin cancer)

• Bridget Ritter, Lightning Ridge – Medical science

• Sophie Sendall, Burren Junction – Medicine

• Hareem Sohail, Lightning Ridge – Medicine

• Ambrosia Wilmans, Lightning Ridge – Applied psychology & counselling

• Matilda Wilmans, Lightning Ridge – Youth work & community services

Fuelled by kindness

The CWA funds the grants thanks to the generosity of a swathe of local donors.

"We are very grateful to our sponsors for their generous contributions to the Barwon Group Medical Grant in 2025," said grants convenor Jocelyn Cameron.

"This grant is making a real difference by supporting local students in their health-related studies and encouraging them to return to our communities as future healthcare professionals.

"The sponsors’ support is not just an investment in the education of our local students —it’s an investment in the health and future of our rural communities."

Sponsors of the 2025 program include:

AGnVET Rural Walgett, Bow’s Sand & Gravel, B& W Rural Walgett, Carinya Farmstay – Jacinda Barry, Collarenebri Branch of CWA, Collarenebri Jockey Club, Colwell Farming, Come by Chance Race Club, Complete Rural Conveyancing – Prue Hutchinson, CWA Hornsby, D, H, S & L Gleeson, Duncan Farming, E Colless & R Walters, Elders B&W Rural Collarenebri, Elders Walgett, Hunter’s Ag Service, Janelle Yeomans, Keir’s Earthmoving, Lightning Ridge Electrical, Lightning Ridge Miner’s Association, Mitchell Machinery, Nutrien Ag Solutions Walgett, R & H Harris, RABO Bank, Regional Development Australia Orana’s The Welcome Experience, Rhonda White Pharmacy Lightning Ridge, Robnson Concrete – Yeoman’s Family, Springfield Woolshed – Hockey Family, Te Mania Angus McFarlane Family, Thurston’s Transport, TM & PJ Smith, Walgett Aboriginal Service, Walgett Cotton Grower’s Association, Walgett Jockey Club, Walgett Shire Council, Walgett Sporting Club, Walgett Swimming Club, Wee Waa Lions Club, Wheaton Family, Woodham Petroleum, The Spectator Newspaper (Jo Coleman), Keith Whiteman, Burren Junction CWA, Collarenebri CWA, Goodooga/Lightning Ridge CWA, Pilliga CWA, Rowena CWA, Walgett CWA, Wee Waa CWA, and the CWA Barwon Group’s twin group – CWA Northumberland Group.