A Perth-based charity supplying backpacks filled with back-to-school essentials to disadvantaged WA children has seen demand surge so dramatically that it has doubled the size of its headquarters, with support from Mineral Resources (MinRes).
Dandelions WA’s 2026 Back to School campaign is forecast to reach a record 17,000 students at more than 420 schools in the Perth metropolitan area and remote communities, ensuring schoolchildren can start the new school year ready to learn.
The charity began in 2021 supporting just 220 students. By 2022 this had risen to 900, climbed to 6,700 in 2023 and surged to 15,000 last year, highlighting the growing cost‑of‑living pressures facing many families.
An army of volunteers – including MinRes employees – spends months preparing the backpacks with essentials such as pens, pencils, exercise books, lunch boxes, drink bottles, hats and calculators.
Many children also receive toiletry packs containing shampoo, conditioner, body wash or soap, a toothbrush and toothpaste, hairbrush and deodorant.
Since 2021, MinRes has supported Dandelions WA by contributing to the cost of renting its Malaga headquarters, affectionately known as the Kindness Kubby.
As demand for the WA chairty surged, MinRes increased its financial support to enable Dandelions WA to lease an adjoining unit and effectively double its operational capacity.