Give the gift of play

Support Early Start Discovery Space

Early Start Discovery Space is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to educating, inspiring and empowering children through play. Your support will help us create and maintain experiences, deliver exceptional education programs and reach families in our community.

Donate to Early Start Discovery Space

Ways to support us

All contributions great and small help us continue to excite potential and inspire a life-long love of learning for all children.

Sponsor a new or existing experience
Fund research or a program
Make a one off or reccuring gift to the Early Start Discovery Space Fund

Partnership opportunities

We love collaborating with businesses or groups who share our passion for play. Please contact us to discuss partnership opportunities. To discuss transformational gifts, bequests or donations please contact the UOW Philanthropy and Impact Team.

Our supporters

The Early Start Discovery Space is operated and proudly supported by the University of Wollongong and has been built with a generous $7 million donation by philanthropist Christopher Abbott, Director of the Abbott Foundation. The Abbott Foundation was created in 2009 by the venture capitalist with the aim of providing learning opportunities for young children. Mr Abbott has a great passion for raising aspirations for young children and his generous donation has made our mission of sharing the power of play possible.

Christopher Abbot AM, The Abbott Foundation

"When it comes to charitable donations I limit myself to causes related to young children. Education gets about 8 per cent from charity donations, which is tiny. It needs more because it’s the most important, especially in the early years. My vision for the Discovery Space is to create an environment for children to thrive, grow, create and interact … to become part of society. We want children to feel at home, to feel safe and to have fun."

Graham Lancaster, Owner, Lancaster Law and Mediation

"I have been able to share my passion for comics by donating to the Discovery Space so they can purchase reading materials and deliver unique workshops. When I was a child I learned the values of honesty, perseverance, courage and self-sacrifice through reading Spiderman, Superman and Batman comics, and I am glad other children will have that opportunity too."

Thank you to our generous supporters:

Support Early Start Discovery Space

Ways to support us

Partnership opportunities

Our supporters

Play and learn together

On the lands that we study, we walk, and we live, we acknowledge and respect the traditional custodians and cultural knowledge holders of these lands.