This story was submitted as part of FRRR’s 25th birthday celebrations.
“FRRR fills a very important niche for organisations like ours, which are run by enthusiastic, committed volunteers. A great deal of time and energy goes into fundraising and seeking grants, often resulting in no boost to the bottom line. When you get feedback that says 21% of applicants were successful with a particular grant application, you wonder whether you have the will to spend another week preparing the next application and to beg letters of support from your long-suffering contacts. Our experience with FRRR was uniformly positive. Aquittal deadlines were flexible and we were delighted to have representation from FRRR and Nutrien Ag Solutions to thank on the day.”
Lynne Gillard, Secretary, Bridge Art Project
“Our 17-hectare arts and recreation space has 250m of frontage along the Murray River in Echuca Moama. We used FRRR funding to contract with Ako Earth’s Franky Atkinson to clear flood debris and dead vegetation from walking tracks and form a large tidy meeting space near the river for gatherings.
“Franky spread sand from the sandpit on site over approximately 2km of tracks which has resulted in much more attractive and safer walking paths. We held our first activation of the site in May 2024 with more than 160 people in attendance. We lit the new fire pit sculpted and donated by Julian Smith and heard a Welcome to Country by long term champion of the Bridge Art Project, Aunty Vicki Walker. Attendees loved hearing about the site’s biodiversity and ecology from Dr Peter Phillips and many hands made light work of making sure the day was a great celebration. Thanks to FRRR and Nutrien Ag Solutions.
“The 17-hectare site is a very large area to contemplate any clean operation by hand. Members of our committee undertook some hand clearing of dead vegetation along the river’s edge and over time, some has rotted away, however the mechanical clearing undertaken has made the site very attractive as a place to enjoy nature and sets us up well for the future.”
Bridge Art Project’s vision for the future
“The 2022 floods had a devastating effect on a lot of families across our region. Some are still struggling with recovery and even when life has gotten back on track, their expectations have been diminished. As a new community initiative, the Bridge Art Project will give all members of our community something to celebrate. Our new art gallery will be operational by 2026, so hopefully by 2050 it will be celebrating its 34th anniversary and be a thriving cultural hub for Echuca Moama residents and those from further afield.”