Media releases: 3 September 2020
24 projects funded that will bring young rural Australians’ ideas to life
The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) has awarded $185,855 in grants for 24 community-led projects that will help tackle the real, and at times confronting, issues faced by young Australians living in rural, regional and remote areas of the country.
Funded through the FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grants program, these grants will support local community groups to adopt, adapt and implement one of six ideas that were developed by 55 young leaders who attended the 2020 ABC Heywire Regional Youth Summit. These ideas address the most pressing issues facing young Australians, including the environment and climate change, cultural inclusivity and diversity, access to education and shared spaces, and career pathways in agriculture.
Now in its eighth year, the Youth Innovation Grants are usually announced at an event hosted by the ABC. This year, due to COVID-19, community groups were awarded their grants at a virtual awards ceremony earlier this afternoon.
The 24 projects will support young people in rural communities throughout Australia, ranging from as far north as Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, to Sippy Downs in Queensland, Orange in New South Wales, Golden Square in Victoria and Hobart in Tasmania, across to Karoonda in South Australia, and as far west as Geraldton in Western Australia.
Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said that although each place has its unique challenges, these grants show that there are common themes and concerns among young people throughout rural Australia.
“We’ve been heartened to see such an impressive response from rural communities wanting to address these six ideas and implement them in ways that are relevant and meaningful to the young people in their own community.
“We are inspired by the work that the ABC does to help shine a light on the issues affecting young people and thank our donor partners for their continued support. It’s through these partnerships that FRRR is able to support communities and their young leaders to come up with ideas and solutions that empower them to forge their own future,” Ms Egleton said.
ABC Director, Regional and Local, Judith Whelan, said that these young leaders and their ideas demonstrate the strength and resilience of Australia’s rural and regional communities.
“Heywire is a fantastic demonstration of the ingenuity of our young people and, thanks to the support of FRRR and its donor partners, we can help bring their inspiring ideas to life. It’s clear from this year’s Heywire ideas and Youth Innovation Grants that Australia’s future is in good hands.” Ms Whelan said.
2020 Heywire Winner, Sam Kane, from Golden Square, Victoria, was one of the young leaders that developed Skillin’ It – a locally-driven initiative that enables knowledge-sharing between individuals and community organisations to build skills that young people are keen to learn about.
“I’m thrilled that Skillin’ It, an idea that our group of 6 young people developed while at the Heywire Regional Youth Summit, is now being piloted in my local community in Central Victoria.
“To be part of this project from the brainstorming, to it now being implemented in my community with a partner organisation, means a lot to me – and shows just how far one idea can go,” Mr Kane said.
Some of the other projects inspired by the six Heywire Youth Innovation Grants ideas are:
- Centralian Senior College, in Alice Springs, NT received $10,000 to adapt the Filling The Gap idea by providing Alice Springs youth with the opportunity and platform to Fill the Gap in education by telling local Indigenous stories, to be incorporated in local curriculum and promoted throughout the community.
- City of Albany, WA received $9,038 to adapt the Green Book idea by promoting grassroots environmental activities through the delivery and filming of five hands-on environmental workshops that will be released at Albany Sustainability Festival and through schools.
- Towri Aboriginal Corporation in Bathurst, NSW received $10,000 to adapt the L.E.D. (Let’s Embrace Diversity) idea by celebrating the rich culture and history that Aboriginal people have to offer by enabling local youth to lead local education.
- Northern Gulf Resource Management Group in Dimbulah, QLD received $9,979 to adapt the We Need Farmers idea by developing relevant local educational resources for schools in the Northern Gulf Region through the creation of three, youth-created farming documentaries.
- Yarram Neighbourhood House, VIC received $10,000 to adapt the Skillin’ It idea by cultivating youth skills in project planning, hospitality and horticultural skills through the establishment and delivery of a foodbank and community garden program.
- Migrant Resource Centre (Southern Tas) in Hobart, TAS received $10,000 to adapt the Filling the Gap idea by empowering young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds to educate the wider community about their culture and histories.
- Stand Like Stone Foundation in Mount Gambier, SA received $10,000 to adapt the Just Relax idea by promoting understanding about life with disability across area schools by the delivery of a hands-on, educational program.
To date, through $1.2 million in community and philanthropic investment, including the support of a number of donors, such as The Sally Foundation and the David Mactaggart Foundation, the FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grants have helped to implement around 100 youth-developed projects in more than 160 communities.
The full list of grant recipients and their projects are below.
Jump to: Filling the Gap | Green Book | Just Relax | L.E.D. | Skillin’ It | We Need Farmers
|
Organisation |
Project |
Location |
Grant |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Centralian Senior College |
Provide Alice Springs youth with the opportunity and platform to Fill the Gap in education by telling local Indigenous stories, to be incorporated in local curriculum and promoted throughout the community. |
Alice Springs, NT |
$10,000 |
|
Chancellor State College |
Enrich the education of Chancellor State College and empower young people by providing a number of excursions and workshops, where students can learn about diverse cultures, and share their learnings with the student body. |
Sippy Downs, QLD |
$9,740 |
|
Migrant Resource Centre (Southern Tas) Inc |
Empower young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds to educate the wider community about their culture and histories. |
Hobart, TAS |
$10,000 |
|
Snowy Mountains Grammar School Limited |
Increase access to environmental education and empower young people to spread environmental messages through workshops and blogs. |
Jindabyne, NSW |
$2,880 |
|
Alice Springs Town Council |
Provide access to youth education on environmental actions and host a youth-led climate change seminar featuring environmental workshops. |
Alice Springs, NT |
$8,429 |
|
Bundaberg Regional Council |
Upskill youth development action team to enable delivery of hands on environmental activities and an educational awareness film event for youth. |
Bundaberg, QLD |
$10,000 |
|
Beechworth Secondary College Student Representative Committee |
Rejuvenate edge of the Beechworth Secondary College school grounds to increase biodiversity in fire ravaged environment and create an outdoor classroom. |
Beechworth, VIC |
$9,600 |
|
City of Albany |
Promote grassroots environmental activities through the delivery and filming of five hands-on environmental workshops that will be released at Albany Sustainability Festival and through schools. |
Albany, WA |
$9,038 |
|
headspace Geraldton |
Promote environmental awareness through participation in conservation works at a youth camp and delivery of local environmental solutions via video productions. |
Geraldton, WA |
$4,555 |
|
Youth Action Committee of Karoonda East Murray |
Improve disability access and road safety through the development of a concept plan to establish a safe walking / riding / wheelchair accessible pathway. |
Karoonda, SA |
$9,600 |
|
Just Relax: Let’s talk about (Dis)ability |
Promote understanding about life with disability across area schools by the delivery of a hands-on, educational program. |
Mount Gambier, SA |
$10,000 |
|
Towri Aboriginal Corporation |
Celebrate the rich culture and history that Aboriginal people have to offer by enabling local youth to lead local education. |
Bathurst, NSW |
$10,000 |
|
Council of the City of Broken Hill |
Celebrate diversity and empower local youth through a Colour Run #neonglow. |
Broken Hill, NSW |
$5,050 |
|
St Giles Society |
Increase awareness of Tasmanian youth with a disability to enable visibility of life challenges and foster community-wide change. |
Launceston, TAS |
$9,000 |
|
Autism Support Network Albany Inc |
Increase awareness and understanding of Autistic young people in the Albany community through the production of short videos. |
Albany, WA |
$617 |
|
Part of Things |
Upskill youth through creation of a youth-led digital bank of workshops to be presented at an International Youth Day Festival. |
Barmera, SA |
$10,000 |
|
Glenhaven Family Care Inc |
Build community resilience and increase opportunities for youth employment through workshops in job readiness training for youth. |
Sheffield, TAS |
$4,547 |
|
Jumpleads NFP Limited |
Develop skills of ten young people through a mentoring program which will result in the completion of a community project. |
Golden Square, VIC |
$10,000 |
|
Yarram Neighbourhood House Inc |
Cultivate youth skills in project planning, hospitality and horticultural skills through establishment and delivery of a foodbank and community garden program. |
Yarram, VIC |
$10,000 |
|
Boyup Brook Community Mental Health Action Team Inc |
Increase access to learning opportunities via two 10 week ‘Skillin’ It’ programs for youth. |
Boyup Brook, WA |
$5,600 |
|
Shire of Collie |
Support life skills development through provision of ‘Skillin’ It’ workshops for youth in Collie. |
Collie, WA |
$6,000 |
|
Bowraville Central School |
Highlight opportunities in farming industries through creation of school resources by senior students and excursions to local farms. |
Bowraville, NSW |
$3,220 |
|
UCA – Kinross Woloroi School |
Create an awareness of opportunities in agriculture via youth producing seven video documentaries and learning resources for primary schools in the region. |
Orange, NSW |
$8,000 |
|
Northern Gulf Resource Management Group Ltd |
Develop relevant local educational resources for schools in the Northern Gulf Region through the creation of three youth-created farming documentaries. |
Dimbulah, QLD |
$9,979 |
