Media releases: 15 May 2023
In partnership with The Yulgilbar Foundation, FRRR has awarded $785,794 in grants to 23 local groups for community projects designed to strengthen community capacity and resilience in the Clarence Valley and surrounding region.
These grants, which are funded through The Yulgilbar Foundation Fund program, are the final tranche of a $2 million commitment awarded over the last three years.
In the wake of the 2019/20 bushfires and subsequent disasters including floods and COVID, these grants will support local groups to foster community connection, education and wellbeing across the region.
Ten of the 23 grants will support local events and festivals. This includes the Grafton Jacaranda Festival for a concert for 5,000 people Featuring Troy Cassar-Daley and Don Walker.
Also set to perform on stage at the Grafton Jacaranda Festival is the Big Scrub Orchestra, which has also been awarded funds. The Orchestra’s grant will support music workshops to boost resilience, health and wellbeing of local children in five small rural public schools and support their performance in the Jacaranda Festival.
Sarah Matthee, FRRR’s General Manager of Partnerships and Services, said that the projects funded demonstrate the important role that social connectedness plays in disaster recovery.
“While each place has its own unique set of recovery needs, in this round of grants we saw many community groups seeking funding for projects designed to bring people together to strengthen social connections, which is such an important part of the recovery process. This also gives us valuable insight into where communities are in their recovery journey.”
Madeleine Noble, Executive Officer of The Yulgilbar Foundation said the Foundation is proud to support a variety of projects across the region, many of which will boost the capacity of local groups to contribute to recovery activities.
“For example, funding for Container of Dreams based near Tabulam will help women develop micro-enterprise skills, Woombah Residents Association will expand activities at the community garden focusing on disaster preparedness, and Lawrence Community Fundraising will run a series of creative workshops and events celebrating local residents and their skills”.
More information is available on FRRR’s website – https://frrr.org.au/funding/the-yulgilbar-foundation-fund/.
The full list of grant recipients and their projects are below.
| Organisation | Project | Location | Grant | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARMIDALE | ||||||
| Backtrack Youth Works Ltd | BackTrack 'Paws Up' School Outreach Program Grow literacy skills, confidence, and resilience of primary school children in bushfire-affected communities in the NSW New England region through animal-assisted activities linked to school curriculum. | Ben Lomond | $30,000 | |||
| CLARENCE VALLEY | ||||||
| 2TLC FM Lower Clarence Community Radio Incorporated Association | Storage Unit Project Improve facilities and space at local community radio station in Yamba, northern rivers region, by adding a storage unit for key equipment. | Yamba | $12,500 | |||
| Clarence Valley Conservatorium Inc | A Smart Conservatorium Enhance the learning and performing experience of music students through installation of smartboards and computers in teaching studios of the Clarence Valley Conservatorium and purchase of portal stage units. | Grafton | $27,480 | |||
| Genhealth Incorporated | headspace Grafton - Creative Groups Boost health, wellbeing and connectedness of young people in Grafton through a series of afterschool and school holiday youth-informed creative arts activities. | Grafton | $34,263 | |||
| Grafton Jacaranda Festival Inc | Troy Cassar-Daly + Don Walker Celebrate Indigenous culture, boost community spirit and wellbeing and stimulate the local economy in Grafton through a free concert for 5,000 people featuring Troy Cassar-Daley and Don Walker as part of the famous Jacaranda Festival. | Grafton | $30,000 | |||
| Iluka Community Organisation Planning for Emergencies (ICOPE) Inc | Field of Friends Iluka Village Community Parties Project Foster community connection and resilience following multiple local disaster events through three free community events across 12 months which will also engage local emergency services organisations to provide education and awareness. | Iluka | $17,548 | |||
| Lawrence Community Fundraising Inc | Lawrence Loves... Grow community engagement and sense of belonging in the small village of Lawrence in the Northern Rivers following local disaster events and COVID-19 through a series of creative workshops, performances, and a whole community event. | Lawrence | $40,000 | |||
| Mudyala Aboriginal Corporation | Rising Warriors After School Engagement Program Boost social connections and activities for Aboriginal youth in the Clarence Valley through youth worker led programs and school holiday activities. | Maclean | $45,000 | |||
| Ozfish Unlimited Limited | Nymboida River Riparian, Restoring Habitat for the Endangered Eastern Fresh Water Cod Improve water quality and fish habitat in the Nymboida River post bushfire events and increase local awareness of natural resource management techniques through planting, restoration activities and educational citizen science program. | Nymboida | $40,000 | |||
| The Big Scrub Orchestra | Bringing Music Healing to Young People in the Clarence Valley Boost resilience, health, and wellbeing for children in five small rural public schools following multiple local disasters through 175 Modern Band workshops introducing children to various instruments and song writing as well as performance at the Grafton Jacaranda Festival with local Indigenous music icon Troy Cassar-Daly. | Grafton | $49,000 | |||
| The Long Way Home Byron Writers Festival | Stories From The Clarence Valley 2023 - Grow Share and celebrate stories from residents of the Clarence Valley by publishing a book showcasing local writers collated through The Long Way Home writing competition. | Grafton | $2,233 | |||
| Woombah Residents Association Incorporated | Meet you at the Garden - Building Community Resilience in Woombah Improve social connections, engagement with local services and awareness of disaster preparedness in Woombah through a series of environmentally themed workshops and community events, equipment and light infrastructure. | Woombah | $30,000 | |||
| COFFS HARBOUR | ||||||
| Glenreagh Heartstart | Orara Valley Resilience Hub - Community Consultation Improve local connections and disaster resilience for residents in the towns and villages of the Orara Valley through community-led consultation to establish a Resilience Hub in Glenreagh. | Upper Orara | $26,000 | |||
| KYOGLE | ||||||
| Friends of the Labyrinth Kyogle Community Economic Development Committee | A Place for Quiet Contemplation and Inner Peace Boost health and wellbeing in Kyogle in the northern rivers through the promotion of the local community labyrinth to foster greater awareness and use. | Kyogle | $4,682 | |||
| LISMORE | ||||||
| Arts Northern Rivers Incorporated | Northern Rivers Creative Industries Recovery Forum 2022 A two-day regional forum for bringing together the creative industry sector to develop a future road map for longer term recovery post 2022 Big Floods in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. | Lismore | $15,000 | |||
| RICHMOND VALLEY | ||||||
| Broadwater Rileys Hill Community Centre | Rekindling Community Connections in Broadwater Lift community spirit and connectedness in Broadwater following the devastating floods in the region through monthly community dinners and activities. | Broadwater | $10,283 | |||
| Casinos Own Wireless Association Inc | Casino Cow Country Music Muster (CCCMM) Boost community spirit and the local economy following devasting disasters, including recent flooding events, through a five-day country music festival in Casino. | Casino | $22,267 | |||
| Clovass-Mskees Hill Soldiers Memorial and Community Hall Incorporated | Power Us Up Improve power supply and availability during local outages and in times of disaster at Clovass McKees Hill Soldiers Memorial and Community Hall, Richmond Valley, through installation of a battery to store power generated by the existing solar system. | McKees Hill | $18,900 | |||
| The Evans Head Living Museum Inc | Purchase a Large Format Printer and Desk Top Tower computer Increase capacity of the Evans Head Museum to prepare and present displays and support local community groups through new technology by purchasing a desktop computer and large format printer. | Evans Head | $10,698 | |||
| TENTERFIELD | ||||||
| Container of Dreams Ltd | Container of Dreams Community Market Cart - Micro-Enterprise Workshops Empower ten women in Drake to develop micro-enterprise skills to support financial independence, improve wellbeing and resilience, and contribute to the local economy through their own market stalls. | Drake | $46,940 | |||
| ADDITIONAL GRANTS | ||||||
| Arts Northern Rivers Incorporated | Screening Tour to Recovering Bushfire-Affected Communities Boost social connections and provide an opportunity to reflect and recover for various bushfire-affected communities in rural and regional NSW, including the Clarence Valley, through a live music and documentary screening tour. | Various NSW Locations | $127,000 | |||
| Department of Education Baryulgil Public School | Strengthening Educational Aspiration and Wellbeing Opportunities in Baryulgil Foster wellbeing, cultural connections, and educational pathways for students at Baryulgil Public School through an on-site wellbeing hub and minibus providing flexible transport options for the remote school. | Baryulgil | $146,000 | |||
