Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR)

Bendigo 17 July 2019: Thirty-six community projects that will assist the continued recovery of communities impacted by the Black Saturday Bushfires will receive funding totalling $602,308. The groups are the latest recipients of the Grants for Resilience and Wellness (GR&W) and Community Group Futures (CGF) programs. To date, the two programs have delivered over $3 million in grants.

The GR&W program focuses on community strengthening and resilience-building projects, while CGF supports not-for-profit organisations to think beyond day-to-day operations and look ahead to ensure they can meet ongoing community need.Funding is made possible by the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund (VBAF) which the general public generously contributed to in the immediate aftermath of the fires.

Marysville & Triangle Community Foundation also received support via the Stronger Community Foundations Program. The Foundation is embarking on a marketing refresh, which includes an updated website and collateral.

This year’s 10th Anniversary of the Black Saturday Bushfires brought many of the communities affected by the devastating event back into focus for the wider public but also reinforced that recovery from something so catastrophic is very much a long-term proposition.

Support is still being sought for disaster preparedness projects, but most requests were for projects that bring communities together, including upgrades to existing community meeting places to improve aspects such as their functionality, comfort and safety. Creating connections from the youngest to the oldest members of the community, both to place and each other, was the other strong theme this round.

FRRR Program Manager, Recovery & Resilience Emma Thomas said that with the tenth anniversary behind them, it was heartening to see these communities looking ahead to the next ten years and beyond.

“The vast majority of applications for grants this round fit within the Strengthening Community Connectedness, Sense of Place, and Community Identity program area,” Ms Thomas said. “When you’ve lost everything, as so many people did during the Black Saturday Bushfires, you get a different perspective on what is important and the things that make life better – these are communities taking charge of their future.

“Another interesting observation is that local primary schools are playing a wide role in the community,” Ms Thomas explained. “It is important that the schools are resourced to handle these extra demands, whether it be creating a more comfortable place for meetings; supporting playgroups and care; or breakfast clubs to ensure kids start the day well and have the best possible chance to learn.”

Among the funded projects are:

  • Upgrading a disused community building, providing additional space for community activities and initiatives in Toolangi.
  • The purchase of instruments and equipment for an inclusive school music program at St Andrews Primary School.
  • Increasing the preparedness for a medical emergency, through updating AED equipment located at community meeting spaces in Steels Creek.
  • Increase awareness of local bushfire history and community preparedness through the delivery of photographic display, emergency kits and community connectedness event at Wandong.

Grants for Resilience and Wellness (GR&W) – Projects

Organisation

Project

Location

$ Awarded

Art Resource Collective Incorporated

Ceramics Studio Floor Renewal
Increase accessibility and safety for community art space through resurfacing of uneven concrete floor at the Art Resource Collective, Yinnar.

Yinnar

$12,049

Arts Yackandandah

Yackandandah Community Hall’s storage upgrade
Increase community capacity and reduce volunteer labour through installing secure storage cabinets in local community meeting areas in Yackandandah.

Yackandandah

$6,000

Boolarra Community Development Group Inc

Boolarra Healing Tent
Increase awareness of alternative therapies that may support health and wellbeing through supporting the Healing Tent at the Boolarra Folk Festival.

Boolarra

$2,500

Coleraine & District Kindergarten Inc

Installation of Shade Sail
Increase use of outdoor learning area, through installation of shade sail at Coleraine & District Kindergarten.

Coleraine

$7,000

Continuing Education & Arts Centre of Alexandra Inc

Alexandra Community Hub Martial Arts Program
Increase physical and emotional wellbeing of local youth through delivery of therapeutic Martial Arts Program sessions.

Alexandra

$9,962

Ellimatta

Commitment to Youth 2020 and beyond
Continue access to support services and programs for youth, supporting the employment of staff at Ellimatta Youth Service in Kinglake.

Kinglake

$120,000

Foggy Mountain Inc

Ten Years On – Foggy Mountain Primary School Recording Project
Increase sense of place and connectedness for local children, through participation in song writing about community and performance at local festival.

Kinglake

$20,000

Jeeralang North Public Hall Reserve

Swinging into Spring – Health & Wellbeing Event Spring 2019
Increase wellbeing and community resilience through delivery of the ‘Swing Into Spring’ inclusive community day of activities.

Jeeralang North

$10,085

Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House Inc Kinglake Landcare Group

Promoting Awareness of the Local Natural Environment
Increase knowledge and connection to the local environment through the delivery of nature walk and propagation workshops held by Kinglake Landcare.

Kinglake

$2,900

Mirboo North Primary School

Kitchen and BBQ
Increase health and wellbeing for students at Mirboo North Primary School through construction of a kitchenette to support delivery of a breakfast program.

Mirboo North

$19,373

Rotary Club of Alexandra

Community Shade and Shelter
Increase participation at community activities and events through the provision of portable shelter and shade which will be available at no cost to local community groups.

Alexandra

$7,000

St Andrews Community Centre Inc

St Andrews Community Group Support Program
Increase support for community driven activities that support connectedness and wellbeing through reducing participation fees and provision of resources and catering.

St Andrews

$16,927

St Andrews Primary School

Playgroup Playground
Enhance resources for early childhood development through construction of junior playground at St Andrews Primary School

St Andrews

$20,000

St Andrews Primary School St Andrews Primary School

Community Band Program
Enhance recovery and community connectedness through purchase of instruments and equipment for inclusive school music program.

St Andrews

$19,880

Steels Creek Community Centre Incorporated

Steels Creek Community Groups AED Update
Increase preparedness for medical emergency, through updating AED equipment located at community meeting spaces in Steels Creek.

Steels Creek

$3,009

Strathewen Recreation Reserve Association

Fire Safety Upgrade
Increase actual and perceived safety for the Strathewen community in the event of bushfire, through fire safety upgrade to Pavilion at local reserve.

Strathewen

$10,000

Tarra Territory Tourism Inc

Gippy Bike
Increase tourism activity and the wellbeing of locals through purchase of push bikes and e-bikes for community bike hire initiative at Yarram.

Yarram

$20,000

Toolangi District Community House Inc

Upgrade of the Maternal Health rooms part two
Upgrade of disused community building, providing additional space for community activities and initiatives in Toolangi.

Toolangi

$18,750

Toolangi District Community House Inc Creative Writers Group

Encourage Active Ageing
Increase awareness of the benefits of social participation for seniors through publication and distribution of Creative Writers Group stories.

Healesville

$858

Toolangi Primary School

Restoration of landscaping around historically significant trees
Improve amenity and safety at Toolangi school, through restoration of retaining wall and pathways around historic and heritage listed trees.

Toolangi

$10,000

Traralgon South Kindergarten Inc

Traralgon South Preschool Black Saturday Commemoration
Increase awareness of local history for preschool aged children, through installation of 2009 Bushfire Memorial Garden and artwork at the Traralgon South Kindergarten.

Traralgon South

$8,076

Wandong History Group Inc

3758: R U READY 10 YEARS ON
Increase awareness of local bushfire history and community preparedness through delivery of photographic display, Emergency kits and community connectedness event at Wandong.

Wandong

$19,995

Whittlesea Community House Inc Whittlesea Landcare

Whittlesea Landcare Community Planting Sessions
Increase opportunities for participation in sustainable land management and agriculture focused community activities through the purchase of tree planting equipment and a trailer for the Whittlesea Landcare Group.

Whittlesea

$10,175

Women’s Health Goulburn North East Gender and Disaster Pod

‘Fire planning with a gender lens saves lives’
Increase awareness of gendered issues that impact on disaster preparation through dissemination of information to CFA’s in the form of a postcard series.

Drouin

$18,232

Y Water Centre Association Inc.

Connecting, Engaging and Empowering Communities to be Environmentally Aware
Increase community awareness regarding local environmental issues through delivery of six keynote speaker presentations at the Y Water Centre.

Yea

$18,000

Yinnar & District Community Association Inc

Re-establishment of Quarterly Newsletter for Yinnar & District
Increase communication of community activities and events through relaunch of community newsletter at Yinnar.

Yinnar

$4,970

Yinnar and District Memorial Hall

SURVIVE & THRIVE
Increase community safety and preparedness for medical emergency, through purchase of a defibrillator for the Yinnar & District Memorial Hall.

Yinnar

$2,715

Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House Inc

Be Well in the Ranges
Remove barriers to mental health support for the Kinglake community in the tenth year since Black Saturday, via providing ease of access to locally based mental health professionals.

Kinglake Ranges

$84,232

 

 

Community Group Futures (CGF) – Projects

Organisation

Project

Location

$ Awarded

Art Resource Collective Incorporated

Building Organisational Capability, Viability and Sustainability
Increase viability and support growth of arc Yinnar through development of strategic and business plans, policies and procedures.

Yinnar

$19,990

Coleraine & District Development Association Inc.

Coleraine & District Website
Increase communication of community events and activities through development of website for Coleraine.

Coleraine

$1,620

Healesville Community Renewable Energy Inc

Healesville CoRE Policy Governance Project
Increase governance and direction for members of Healesville Community Renewable Energy, through development of organisation policies.

Healesville

$6,090

Rivers and Ranges Community Leadership Inc

RRCL Website Revitalisation Project
Increase professionalism and capacity to communicate through development of new website for Rivers and Ranges Community Leadership Program.

Mitchell and Murrindindi Shire

$20,000

Southern Grampians Shire Council

Rooftop Power
Reduce running costs applied to heating the Coleraine Mechanics Institute Hall, through installation of solar system.

Coleraine

$6,000

Whittlesea Men’s Shed Incorporated

Solar Energy Management System for the Whittlesea Men’s Shed
Increase sustainability and support for community projects through installation of a solar system for the Whittlesea Men’s Shed.

Whittlesea

$18,000

Yarra Valley Ecoss Inc Yarra Valley ECOSS

Disabilities and Volunteer Project Development Officer
Increase support to deliver activities that support social and skill development for people with a disability at Yarra Valley ECOSS, through the employment of a Project Officer.

Wesburn

$20,000
 

Stronger Community Foundations – Projects

Organisation

Project

Location

$ Awarded

Marysville and Triangle Community Foundation Limited

Communications – Website restructuring, brochure and template development
Increase capacity to market to potential donors and attract support through development of marketing tools including refreshed website, templates and brochure.

Marysville

Alexandra Yea

Kinglake

$7,920
 

After the devastation of Bushfires, it is often the volunteers who help bring rural communities back to life. The Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House (KRNH) Inc coordinates more than 50 volunteers to run the Op Shop and regularly participate in activities at the Centre.

To better support the volunteers and encourage others to get involved they established the Volunteer Murrindindi Resource Centre, an online portal providing an easy to use platform for connecting volunteers and organisations to request and find volunteers, with huge success.

They sought funding to update the online portal and engage a person to embed the policies / procedures, establish an evaluation framework, train existing staff and further connect KRNH with outside volunteer engaging organisations.

Community meetings held at the Neighbourhood Centre have identified that many community groups are struggling to provide support in terms of training and governance, leading to problems recruiting fresh volunteers and retaining existing volunteers.  The VMRC have developed Volunteering Policies and Procedures with the aim of supporting both the neighbourhood house and to share with local community groups. These need to be embedded into KRNH to ensure sustainability of the VMRC as an integral part of the KRNH.

With a Community Group Futures grant of $19,532 funded by the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund the KNRH were able to improve the online portal Volunteer Murrindindi within the broad scope of the Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House structure. We have developed the majority of the Policies and Procedures around the Volunteer Resource Centre and established annline presence through our Volunteer matching portal – www.volunteermurrindindi.com.au