The money will be divided between the Flying Fruit Circus indigenous circus program and a back-to-school program run by the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal.

Mandy Wilson, youth development officer at Albury Council, said the circus program relied on community donations.

She said the $5000 from QBE meant it was close to having the $22,000 required to run the program annually.

Ms Wilson said the initiative, which had been running since 2008, had given the Aboriginal students who participated more confidence.

This year a further 15 children, aged 9-17, will participate.

The other half of QBE’s donation will go towards the back-to-school program which provides $50 vouchers to families struggling to afford basic school items such as backpacks and shoes.

This year, extra demand from around the country meant the Border was allocated fewer vouchers than previous years but the new funds should make up that shortfall.

Border Trust chief executive Glenys Atkins said the trust would be able to help 550 families.

“Of course $50 may not seem like a big amount but the participants say that there is enormous benefit for them,” she said.

“Like shoes for example, even if you buy them one year you often have to upgrade them next year.

“They are just costs they can’t avoid.”

Ms Atkins said the funding was also welcome because it brought the Border Trust closer to raising its target $100,000 by the middle of the year.

She said she was confident it would make the target.

“I would say we are two-thirds of the way,” Ms Atkins said.

“We have a lot of interest from people saying let us know us know if you come up short by March or April, because we’ll kick in.”

Last year the group got $100,000 through a Victorian government grant and was promised, that if it could match that amount, it would secure a further $200,000.