Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR)
Initiatives funded in Nowra, Ulladulla, Bateman’s Bay and Bay & Basin
In partnership with The Snow Foundation and the Bendigo Bank Community Enterprise Foundation, FRRR has awarded $470,670 to community organisations across the South Coast of NSW. These grants are through the Investing in Rural Community Futures (IRCF) program, which builds and supports the capacity of local not-for-profit (NFP) organisations.
IRCF is a multi-year program that gives NFPs the resources and connections they need to support one another and to establish relationships that allow them to collaborate to fill in the existing gaps in their communities. The program operates in the South Coast communities of Nowra, Ulladulla, Bateman’s Bay and Bay & Basin.
Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said that the FRRR team has seen an increase in the level of interest in the IRCF program.
“One of the key elements of this program is the road mapping process where we bring local leaders together to identify gaps and, more importantly, future opportunities for their communities. This is quite unique to this program and so we have really noticed during this round, that the engagement in the road mapping process increased as everyone involved has now developed a greater understanding of how it works and how much it can benefit their local communities.
“We also noticed that community groups and NFPs are taking a much more collaborative approach to finding volunteers after volunteer engagement levels dropped off as a result of back-to-back disasters over the last couple of years. This is wonderful to see, as this program is designed specifically to encourage community organisations to work with one another and to find solutions within their own area and network,” Ms Egleton said.
Terry Snow, Founder of The Snow Foundation, which supports three regions within the IRCF program – Nowra, Bateman’s Bay and Ulladulla – said partnering with FRRR over the past three years has built stronger relationships within the South Coast communities.
“The South Coast is my home and given the challenges over the past few years, I have seen how bringing people together strengthens community. This is why the IRCF program is so good. It brings community groups together to work collaboratively and decide what they need and the best way to make it happen and each year relationships just get stronger,” Mr Snow said.
David Impey, CEO of Community Enterprise Foundation, the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank’s charitable arm, said they are proud of their partnership with FRRR and supporting the Bay & Basin communities.
“After what’s been an unimaginably difficult couple of years for these communities, it’s inspirational to see the community members coming together and working with one another as they once again begin to look towards building a more vibrant and resilient future. It’s this kind of dedication and willingness to support one another that will see the South Coast region thriving long into the future and that’s something that we take great pride in being part of,” Mr Impey said.
Some of the projects being funded are:
- Nowra Community Food Store Incorporated, Nowra – Planning for the Future – Define the direction of the organisation with a five-year strategic plan, operational business plan and HR framework – $13,000
- StoryFest Incorporated, Ulladulla/Shoalhaven – Fundraising for StoryFest school students – Enable the continued growth and success of StoryFest with a new website and marketing campaign – $10,000
- Rotary Club of Batemans Bay Inc, Batemans Bay/Eurobodalla – Establish and maintain the Batemans Bay Community Hub to provide information, resources and opportunities for local NFP organisations – $19,370
- Bay & Basin Community Resources Limited, Bay & Basin – Work, life and training Centre – Increase opportunities for youth to engage in training and employment with a project coordinator to establish a work, life and training centre – $30,000
In addition to the South Coast region, the IRCF South Coast program is also working in in Junee, Leeton and Nambucca Valley in partnership with the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation.
For more information about the Investing in Rural Community Futures program visit – https://frrr.org.au/ircf-program/.
The full list of grant recipients and their projects is below.
| Organisation | Project | Location | Grant | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BATEMANS BAY PARTNERSHIP GRANTS | ||||||
| The Circle Foundation Cooperative Ltd | Building Capacity: Circle Foundation Cooperative Business Systems Development Build capacity by employing a project officer and IT enhancements to facilitate ongoing service delivery for people living with chronic illness. | Eurobodalla | $22,675 | |||
| Eurobodalla Education and Therapy Services Ltd | Attract and Retain Allied Health Professionals Attract and retain specialised staff by formulating a well structured learning and development strategy for the organisation. | Batemans Bay | $20,000 | |||
| The Family Place Inc | Scoping Housing Solutions - Community Creating a Better Future Stimulate innovative thinking focussed on housing solutions by engaging a project officer to develop and cost models to enable clients and broader community to sustain tenancy and support sector wide collaboration. | Moruya | $26,208 | |||
| Rotary Club of Batemans Bay Inc | Batemans Bay Community Hub Establish and maintain the Batemans Bay Community Hub to provide information, resources and opportunities for local NFP organisations. | Batemans Bay | $19,370 | |||
| SEARMS Community Housing Aboriginal Corporation | Living Library - Knowledge Circle Celebrating the cultural gift of language and the art of story telling in Aboriginal culture by adopting a holistic approach and sustained capabilities to community engagement. | Batemans Bay | $14,000 | |||
| Southcoast Health and Sustainability Alliance | Batemans Bay Community Coordinator and Business Manager Strengthen governance and business systems internally, continue to connect with council and assist not for profit community organisations to reduce their on-going energy costs. | Batemans Bay Region | $20,000 | |||
| BAY & BASIN PARTNERSHIP GRANTS | ||||||
| Bay & Basin Community Resources Ltd | Work, Life and Training Centre Increase opportunities for youth to engage in training and employment with a project coordinator to establish a work, life and training centre. | Sanctuary Point | $30,000 | |||
| Sussex Inlet Foundation for Community Development | Strengthening our Foundation Strengthen the volunteer committee of the Foundation for Community Development to help them grow the ways they can support and strengthen the Sussex Inlet Community. | Sussex Inlet | $19,500 | |||
| Tomerong School of Arts | Policies and Procedures Project Enable the hall to operate more effectively with the development of policies and procedures. | Tomerong | $12,000 | |||
| Vincentia High School P & C Association | Launch of Walawaani-ngarn Boost the profile and awareness of the community health hub with a launch event and marketing material. | Vincentia | $9,000 | |||
| NOWRA PARTNERSHIP GRANTS | ||||||
| Bomaderry Community Inc | Paying It Forward - Supporting Those People Who Sustain Our Community Support the volunteers to rejuvenate and focus on their passion | Bomaderry | $3,240 | |||
| Cullunghutti Aboriginal Child and Family Centre Aboriginal Corporation | Maintaining Momentum - Cullunghutti Master Plan Boost capacity to engage project officer to operationalise the strategic plan previously funded. | Shoalhaven | $20,000 | |||
| Kangaroo Valley Voice Incorporated | Kangaroo Valley Hub Enable development of a community hub with the collation of information and scoping of project. | Kangaroo Valley | $15,000 | |||
| Noahs Ark Centre of Shoalhaven Inc | Knowledge, Strength and Resilience- Sharing for the Future Nurture opportunity to provide intergenerational peer mentoring of professionals in the disability service. | Nowra | $7,900 | |||
| Nowra Community Food Store Incorporated | Planning for the Future Define the direction of the organisation with a 5 year strategic plan, operational business plan and HR framework. | South Nowra | $13,000 | |||
| Nowra Local Aboriginal Land Council | Strong Foundations Establish organisational policies and procedures manual, branding and communications strategy and provide governance support to the board. | Bomaderry | $18,315 | |||
| Pathways Foundation Limited | Pathways To Leadership Strengthen skills and abilities of youth mentors to deliver best practice programs locally. | Berry | $24,000 | |||
| Shoalhaven Business Chamber Incorporated | Community Plus Enable the community sector to leverage the established business chamber to share knowledge, build capacity and resilience by strengthening the links between the corporate and community sector. | Shoalhaven | $20,000 | |||
| Shoalhaven Community Pre School Inc | Administration and Operations Manager Support the final transition of the organisational growth and relocation of preschool. | Nowra | $30,000 | |||
| The Shoalhaven Women's Resource Group Ltd | Capacity and Capability Building Prepare the organisation to achieve accreditation, develop branding and a more efficient and informative website. | Nowra | $10,000 | |||
| ULLADULLA PARTNERSHIP GRANTS | ||||||
| Independence Ulladulla Inc | Helping Hands Improve systems to support leadership to innovate and grow | Ulladulla | $19,000 | |||
| Milton Ulladulla Business Chamber Inc | Community Connect - Information Creates Endless Possibilities Continuation of building connections within the community groups, assisting the the existing and new volunteers by capturing important information, to then share and create possibilities for the broader community. | Ulladulla | $20,830 | |||
| Noahs Ark Centre of Shoalhaven Inc | Destination Ulladulla Part Two Implement communication plan and to disseminate our videos most effectively and will build on capacity in recruitment and communications into the future. | Ulladulla | $12,000 | |||
| Safe Waters Community Care Inc | De-Escalation Training and Occupational Violence Prevention Training Empower staff and volunteers with the skills to de-escalate conflict and violence situations. | Ulladulla | $3,900 | |||
| South Coast Bookclubs Inc | Saving and Expanding the Bookclub Support for a self-sustaining book club service in Ulladulla to create a sense of community for new and existing residents. | Ulladulla | $6,456 | |||
| StoryFest Inc | StoryFest Inc - Fundraising for StoryFest Enable the continued growth and success of StoryFest with a new website and marketing campaign | Milton | $10,000 | |||
| The Dunn & Lewis Youth Development Foundation Ltd | Community Spotlight Foster youth interest in community volunteering with a Youth Podcast Series. | Ulladulla | $10,795 | |||
| Treading Lightly Inc | Regenerative Development Officer Role Build a Regenerative Design Model for the benefit of this and other NFP organisation as well as a wider range of stakeholders. | Ulladulla | $30,000 | |||
| Ulladulla and Districts Community Resources Centre Inc | Building Sustainability Prepare the Raft Race Committee for the future with succession planning and marketing support. | Ulladulla | $3,481 | |||
Four local NFPs awarded grants
In partnership with the Bendigo Bank Community Enterprise Foundation, FRRR has awarded a further $50,293 to support four not-for-profit organisations (NFPs) in the Bay & Basin area. Bay & Basin NFPs have now received nearly $150,000 to date through the Investing in Rural Community Futures (IRCF) program, which is helping to address locally-identified priorities.
The IRCF program is a multi-year program designed to foster collaboration between local NFPs and strengthen their capacity, so they can continue to have a positive impact on the vibrancy and wellbeing of their communities. The program operates across the South Coast region, and in three other locations across NSW.
As part of the IRCF program, local leaders participated in community meetings and created a roadmap of the future opportunities they envision for their communities. This helped to identify the areas where the community groups and NFPs need support and ensures that the solutions being provided through the program are community-led.
The four funded projects cover various areas including strategy development, resilience training, equipment upgrades and human resources. One example is the Huskisson Op Shop who are engaging a paid Coordinator to support the Op Shop Volunteers, as well as a Business Advisor, who will help to modernise the Op Shop to support their food pantry in St Georges Basin.
Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said that multi-year programs, like IRCF, are vital for these remote, rural and regional communities.
“The NFPs in Bay & Basin play a big role when it comes to the quality of life for people living in these communities. Local leaders know what will work, so our role is to support them to create locally-led solutions that can be implemented over a series of years. This ensures that these communities thrive long into the future,” Ms Egleton said.
David Impey, CEO Community Enterprise Foundation, the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank’s charitable arm, said that the grant recipients are committed to developing all aspects of their organisations.
“It’s inspiring to see these people who are willing to take such a multi-faceted approach when it comes to building resilient communities. Through this program they’re developing their skills, strengthening their relationships with their peers, improving their processes and engaging in some really productive conversations.
“These organisations are powerful advocates for their communities. We’re very thankful to be able to support their efforts in creating sustainable and long-term solutions that will see the lives of everyone in Bay & Basin made that much more vibrant,” Mr Impey said.
The four projects being funded are:
- Vincentia Ratepayers and Residents Association Inc, Vincentia – Prepare, Develop, Publish and Regularly Update the Vincentia Ratepayers and Resident Association 2030 Strategic Vision Document – $7,000
- Sussex Inlet District Chamber of Commerce Incorporated, Sussex Inlet – Sussex Inlet, a Vibrant Future- Building the capacity of our communitythrough resilience training and by developing a marketing campaign – $3,900
- Sanctuary Point Community Pride Incorporated, Sanctuary Point – Boosting Pride by fostering community engagement and enhancing organisational capacity through the development of a website, communications strategy, and accounting software – $10,309
- UCA – Bay & Basin, St Georges Basin – Growing the Husky Op-shop by building organisational capacity to enable a stable of aligned social enterprises – $29,084.
In addition to Bay & Basin, the IRCF South Coast program is also working in Nowra, Batemans Bay and Ulladulla, with the support of The Snow Foundation and in Junee, Leeton and Nambucca Valley in partnership with the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation.
For more information about the Investing in Rural Community Futures program visit – https://frrr.org.au/ircf-program/.
Nearly $100,000 in grants awarded to local NFPs
Five not-for-profit organisations (NFPs) in the Bay & Basin region are sharing in $99,494 in funding that will strengthen the NFP sector and inter-organisational relationships in Bay & Basin, helping the community to thrive and achieve long-term stability.
Funded through FRRR’s Investing in Rural Community Futures (IRCF) program, in partnership with the Bendigo Bank Community Enterprise Foundation, these funds will allow Bay & Basin NFPs to develop the tools, resources and skills they have identified they need to achieve longevity and enduring opportunities in their communities.
IRCF is a multi-year grassroots program aimed at building the capacity and connectedness of NFPs in select communities in regional New South Wales. As well as grants, these organisations will receive organisational support and coordination in the form of workshops that will help them to implement more effective systems, processes and training within their organisations.
The five funded initiatives focus on developing strategic and sustainable business skills, technological transformation, and supporting youth and community engagement. These local activities address needs highlighted through a community-led Roadmap, the development of which was facilitated by FRRR.
Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said that the IRCF program’s expansion into the Bay & Basin region has been a great boost for local communities, with significant investments now being made for the future.
“These not-for-profit organisations are enabling community-led action and resilience through their long-term initiatives.
“It’s wonderful to see local organisations prioritising community engagement and creating safe cultural spaces, particularly for local youth. Like Vincentia High School, which will use their $24,000 grant to help create a safe community space with their integrated community health hub called Walawaani-ngarn (welcome place),” Ms Egleton said.
David Impey, CEO of Bendigo Bank’s Community Enterprise Foundation, said they are pleased to have been able to help expand the IRCF program to include Bay & Basin.
“We’re delighted to be on board with a program that’s making a real and practical difference. Organisations like the Lady Denman Heritage Complex Huskisson will be transformed by their $6,424 grant, as it will allow them to transition from using outdated catalogue software to a more efficient and secure cloud-based method of storage.”
The three other grant recipients in the Bay & Basin region are:
- Sanctuary Point Community Pride Incorporated, Vincentia – Organised Youth Bay and Basin – $26,000 – Support the development of a youth forum and youth-led projects through the engagement of a youth practitioner to connect and support Bay & Basin youth.
- Huskisson Public School Parents and Citizens Association, Huskisson – Equipping the Huskisson P&C for a Viable Future – $13,070 – Enhance the sustainability of the Huskisson P&C through succession planning, development of strategic documents, laptop purchase and insurance costs.
- Bay & Basin Community Resources Limited, Sanctuary Point – Marketing and Communications Connecting BBCR and Communities – $30,000 – Enable Bay & Basin Community Resources to improve their communications and marketing through the employment of a marketing coordinator for six months.
Kate Dezarnaulds, who previously served as FRRR’s Program Manager for IRCF, will be transitioning into an IRCF co-facilitator role to serve the needs of these South Coast NFPs more directly. FRRR is also recruiting for a co-facilitator who identifies as First Nations, to work alongside Ms Dezarnauld. Those interested in applying can contact the FRRR team at https://frrr.org.au/contact-us/.
In addition to Bay & Basin, the IRCF South Coast program is also working in Nowra, Batemans Bay and Ulladulla, with the support of The Snow Foundation and in Junee, Leeton and Nambucca Valley in partnership with the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation.
For more information about the Investing in Rural Community Futures program visit https://frrr.org.au/ircf-program/.
