The Grants Only Group (GOG ) is a vibrant group of older and younger community members committed to helping community groups in their area succeed with their grant applications. Primarily focused on the Lower Tarwin Valley District in Victoria, dairy farming is an integral part of these communities and the surrounding areas.

While working with many community groups to raise funds for local events and activities, GOG frequently saw groups hiring sound systems. This gave them a bright idea. In 2020, the group successfully applied for a $4,838 Gardiner Dairy Foundation Community Grant to purchase a Community PA System. The grant allowed them to purchase four speakers, tripods and microphones that could be used by organisations and businesses in the townships of Venus Bay, Tarwin Lower and Walkerville. 

Thirty-seven organisations in the area were emailed about the available equipment, who to contact and how they could place a booking for use. Since purchasing the Sound System, there has been high demand. So far, the Community Luncheon Group, Tarwin District Auto & Machinery Club’s Australia Day event, which raises funds for dementia, and Tarwin Mechanics Institute Hall’s Anzac Day service have all had a turn with the new gear. 

Some clever thinking by GOG has created a practical shared community asset that reduces costs and time for the running of local community activities.

GOG President Wendy Don said “By strengthening our community, we are building the foundations for the sustainability of Dairy farming in the Lower Tarwin Valley. All the locals and the many tourists that visit these beautiful Gippsland Dairy Communities will benefit for years to come.”

Community groups in Gippsland, northern Victoria and south-west Victoria can apply for up to $5,000

In partnership with the Gardiner Foundation, FRRR has announced the opening of this year’s round of the Gardiner Foundation Community Grants Program.

The Program aims to strengthen small, Victorian dairy communities. Community organisations in the three recognised dairy regions – Gippsland, northern Victoria and south west Victoria – can apply for grants of up to $5,000. In total, there is $120,000 available.

Funds can be used to support a broad range of community projects including those that strengthen the community socially and economically, support environmental sustainability, make the community more culturally vibrant, support education and training or improve health and social wellbeing.

Allan Cameron, Gardiner Foundation Chief Executive Officer, said the Foundation is committed to continuing to invest in local not-for-profits in dairying regions.

“Vibrant communities are essential for the long-term sustainability of the Victorian dairy industry. This is our 21st year collaborating with FRRR to provide support for initiatives that regional communities prioritise. We are once again looking forward to supporting great local ideas,” Mr Cameron said.

Sarah Matthee, Acting CEO of FRRR, said that it’s wonderful to have partners that understand the importance of supporting grassroots groups.

“Gardiner Foundation recognises the importance of the local community groups in helping to capitalise on opportunities for the future or fill gaps in access to services. For example, last year one of the groups we funded together was Katamatite Bush Kinder, who run a program taking the four year-old Kinder group out to the bush, rain or shine. The grant helped them fund technology to capture the activity, report on it and share it with parents to engage them in their child’s experience. Parents reported that the children had such a wonderful time that all they did when they went home was discuss the day at bush kinder! Funding these kinds of initiatives helps create lasting connections to the environment, not to mention stimulate their creativity.

“Another example was funding some equipment for a community hall, to make it quicker and easier for volunteers to serve meals following cricket training. The Secretary told us the appliance upgrade made a real difference as it meant more people stuck around to catch up with neighbours, improving their overall mental and physical wellbeing. I look forward to seeing what comes forward this year,” Ms Matthee said.

Once again, grants will be awarded at local ceremonies in each region, providing valuable networking opportunities as well as the chance to celebrate local grantees.

Applications for the Gardiner Foundation Community Grants Program close Thursday, 16 March 2023 at 5pm AEDT. A dedicated online grant seeking workshop will be held online Monday, 13 February 2023, 12 – 1pm AEDT. More information on the Gardiner Foundation Community Grants Program can be found on the FRRR website.

While it had a short life as a gold mining area, the Tanjil Valley in eastern Victoria is a long established dairy farming area with a keen local History Gatherer’s Group.

The Group brings together older people from across the district to share family stories and evoke long forgotten memories of farming techniques and innovations. These evenings, held at the Hill End Community Centre (HECC), are very popular and the social interaction contributes to a strong sense of community belonging and connectedness.

As the elders in the settler families age, their families, as well as more recent community members, were keen to preserve and capture their local history. Some short stories have been shared in the free monthly ‘Hill End Herald’ community newsletter, which is distributed to almost 500 families throughout the Tanjil Valley. The community always responds positively and people urged the Group to collate their histories into book form. So, some local historians got to work, extending and gathering these stories into a manuscript.

With a $3,400 grant from the Gardiner Dairy Foundation Community grants program, the History Talks – Settlers’ Histories A Generation On was collated and published.

By all accounts, the collation of the book was a monumental effort! It hardly needs saying that COVID presented a major challenge, especially as the contributors to the book were mostly older community members for whom the risks of COVID were great. The authors themselves are older people with significant health challenges, who live in different towns, yet these two women determinedly worked together to get the project finished. All the final checks and corrections were done by phone or by emails and, as the two authors also live in different towns, they had to do all their final editing in the same way.

The book launch occurred at the Australia Day 2022 community event to great acclaim. Despite COVID risks and stormy weather, which did affect numbers at the event, nearly 80 copies were sold on the night. The book, which features stories from more than 30 district families, and cover art by well-known local artist Liz Bowley, has been featured in The Hill End Herald, and mostly sold through word of mouth. The book has almost sold out in the four months since it was launched and the group is planning a re-print.

The authors generously handed over the ISBN and all the books to the Community Centre to sell and to use all the profits for the benefit of the community centre.

In acquitting their grant, Hill End Community Inc. told us how proud they are of the authors’ efforts to push through the restrictions of COVID to produce the book.

“We are also proud of the commitment of the contributing farmers and their families to provide information and search out their historical family photos. We are proud too of the contribution the book has, and continues to make, in documenting the history of the settler families of the community and sharing that with the broader community and newer community members.”

For the elderly members of the monthly History Gatherers Group, the book project reconnected them after two years of being shut down by COVID restrictions and fears. Tanjil Valley Settlers’ History will ensure that the farming histories of this district will not be lost as settler families age but will be preserved, celebrated and shared for years to come.

This case study is courtesy of the Gardiner Dairy Foundation

A new teen fitness program in Kyabram is inspiring community spirit and building fit and healthy bodies.

A health and wellbeing centre has been established by Kyabram Blue Light at the town’s P-12 College, thanks to $5,000 from the Gardiner Dairy Foundation Community Grants Program in partnership with Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR).

The centre has proven to be a holiday hit with local teenagers and will be used regularly during the school year.

It is part of the KyFit police and teen gym-based mentoring program and, according to organiser Senior Constable Mitchell Bull, the benefits are wide-ranging.

Teenagers have played a central role in establishing the gym in an old storeroom at the school.

“The kids have done the majority of it,” Senior Constable Bull said. “They put together a wish list of equipment, posters and information and then volunteered on weekends to load trailers and remove rubbish and then helped in designing the layout and setting up and testing the equipment.

“It’s not just given to them on a silver platter – it’s a community effort and we all chip in. For six or seven weekends in a row we had up to 10 kids at the gym helping out. We removed six trailer loads of rubbish from the storeroom.”

The gym includes two bench presses, two rowing machines, two magnetic resistance bikes, two treadmills, two decline sit-up benches, sets of dumbbells from 3kg to 10kg and 13 spin bikes for classes.

The Gardiner Foundation grant also helped with installing fans, electrical power points and tiles for the floor.

“We made every cent count and called in favours left, right and centre and had a lot of volunteer assistance with everything,” Senior Constable Bull said. “It’s nothing fancy but it’s equipment tailored to young people.”

The gym is the latest development in the KyFit program that started in 2019 and is run by Kyabram Blue Light using police members, volunteers and community members.

“It was identified there was a need for a sporting or physical program that didn’t require the time, cost and travel commitments of the likes of football or netball,” Senior Constable Bull said.

“The gym will help those who may not have the opportunity to be involved in the local gyms or sports clubs.”

Personal trainers, defence force members, police and other community members help with the program, ensuring young people can access a variety of training programs ranging from boxing to swimming sessions and pitting their abilities against the police fitness test challenge.

A weekly in-school program attracts at least 13 participants and after-school programs are reaching about 30 teenagers. The school also uses the facilities for physical education classes.

Senior Constable Bull said the grant had helped to empower local young people. “We used the gym over the school holidays, allowing kids to drop in when there wasn’t much else to do – we can barely keep up with the demand,” he said.

“A lot of kids want to join the program now because they’ve seen the benefits the others are getting. It’s helping with their physical and mental health and the kids are seeing the benefits of physical activity and working out with other people.”

Police can also use the fitness programs to help break down barriers between officers and young people.

“The kids get the benefits of getting to know local police and other volunteers and mentors,” Senior Constable Bull said. “It’s about building a relationship between police officers and young people and showing we’re approachable if there is a problem in the community that needs to be discussed.”

It’s also beneficial for police. “It means we’re not always seeing the negative side of things in the community and we get to work towards positivity,” Senior Constable Bull said.

The program is free for local teenagers who also receive a free sports top when they get involved.

In recognition of his work with young people, Senior Constable Bull was named Citizen of the Year for Campaspe Shire at the 2022 Australia Day Awards.

Now in its 20^th year, the Gardiner Dairy Foundation Community Grants Program is delivered by the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR). Grants of up to $5,000 help not-for-profit organisations in small Victorian dairy communities deliver projects that will benefit local people and strengthen their ability to deal with local issues and enhance existing community infrastructure.

Applications for the 2022 program opened on 1 March and close on 13 April. More information can be found at https://frrr.org.au/funding/place/gardiner-communities-grants/

$120,000 in Gardiner Community Grants available

The annual Gardiner Dairy Foundation Community Grants Program (Gardiner Community Grants) has opened today. Delivered in partnership with the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR), this round marks the 20^th year of the program, which is focused on supporting communities across Victoria’s three dairying regions.

This year Gardiner Community Grants will encourage projects to focus on building the capacity of community organisations and improving digital connectivity. The new focus is in response to insights from FRRR’s Heartbeat of Rural Australia Report, which was published late last year.

The report highlighted that there was a significant digital divide in rural communities, compared to urban areas, and that local not-for-profit organisations needed capacity building support to be able to do their vital work, particularly following the impacts of back-to-back disasters, including COVID, on fundraising and volunteers.

A digital connectivity grant project might involve upgrading infrastructure and facilities, improving digital access or providing training that enables the community to benefit from digital services.

A building capacity grant aims to support organisations to sustain or grow the effectiveness of their operations. Funds may be requested for salaries to increase the organisations paid workforce, training for volunteers, upgrading office equipment or supporting strategic planning and improved governance.

The small grants program, which has $120,000 in available funds for grants up to $5,000, will continue to support a broad range of community projects that local groups identify can make their community socially, economically or environmentally stronger. Applications for events to enhance cultural vibrancy, volunteer planting projects to support environmental sustainability, extending education and training opportunities, support for infrastructure projects or programs to improve health and wellbeing are all encouraged.

Allan Cameron, Gardiner Dairy Foundation Chief Executive Officer, said Gardiner is committed to strengthening Victorian dairy communities and is pleased to be partnering with FRRR for the twentieth year to support innovative, community-driven projects.

“Investing in the communities that are at the heart of the Victorian dairy industry is critical to the sustainability of dairy farming in Victoria. Since launching the program with FRRR in 2002, Gardiner Dairy Foundation has supported over 500 local projects and distributed more than $2 million to Victorian dairy communities.

“Gardiner is committed to supporting the needs of the communities as they change and evolve, now, and in the future. That’s why, this year, we are encouraging initiatives around digital literacy and organisational capacity, to help local groups respond to the current needs of Victoria’s dairy communities,” Mr Cameron said.

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said that the Heartbeat of Rural Australia Report called for more support to go to community groups to address critical issues, and it’s wonderful to see Gardiner Foundation respond.

“Our Heartbeat Report highlighted significant gaps and challenges for rural communities, but also highlighted the critical role that local not-for-profits play in meeting the needs and filling the gaps in rural communities. That’s why we value our longstanding relationship with Gardiner, because they, like us, are committed to working together to support these vital community groups in the long-term.

“For 20 years, Gardiner’s Community Grants have consistently boosted Victorian dairy communities with contributions towards large important community projects, and significantly enabling many smaller community organisations and projects, often for items and activities that are less accessible through government or major philanthropic funding,” Ms Egleton said.

Applications for the Gardiner Dairy Foundation Community Grants Program open Tuesday, 1 March and close Wednesday 13^th April 2022 at 5 pm AEDT. More information can be found at – https://frrr.org.au/gardiner-communities-grants/.

Anam Cara House Colac is a community owned hospice established to provide respite, palliative care and end of life care for the people of South West Victoria on Gulidjan Country. Carers, family and friends who support their chronically ill loved ones with at-home care commonly experience compassion fatigue when they are tasked with delivering the bulk of care requirements.

Supporting these carers, alongside improving the comfort of chronically ill community members, were the key drivers behind what Anam Cara House Colac aimed to achieve with their project. Community members who are either ill themselves or caring for others are often confused and/or unaware of available support services that could assist them to maintain their independence or live their lives more comfortably. For many, it is a time of vulnerability and fear, and having knowledge of, and access to, available services is critical.

Anam Cara House Colac received a $5,000 Gardiner Foundation Community Grant to run a series of three focused information sessions for community members living with, or caring for those affected by, life-limiting conditions.

Guest speakers from local health services, as well as a representative from My Aged Care, provided up-to-date and relevant information that is helpful and/or necessary to support someone with a chronic illness to live in a supported way that maximises independence. The choice of speakers was developed on the basis of anecdotal feedback from users of Anam Cara’s services.

Naomi Lettieri, Anam Cara’s Community Liaison Nurse, said that they experienced challenges with a slightly lower uptake than was expected, and they responded by involving the local radio station.

Anam Cara contacted Otway Community Radio (OCR), who agreed to record the second and third sessions. In doing so, they were able to reach more people, especially those who were unable to leave home due to their caring commitments. The sessions were aired both by OCR and shared on Anam Cara’s Facebook page as a podcast.

The grant covered the costs of advertising, catering, resources, and provision of respite to those who require it, with a portion directed to wages for planning and implementation of the events. It also included follow up for those in need, whether it be with advance care planning support or assistance in referral to other services.

Thanks to Anam Cara House Colac and the generosity of the Gardiner Dairy Foundation, this project allowed those in need to access information on caring for either themselves or those with chronic illness.

Thirty projects from across Victoria’s three main dairy regions will share in $131,188 in grant funding to help build community capacity to deal with local issues and enhance existing community infrastructure.

Now in its 19^th year, the Gardiner Dairy Foundation Community Grants Program is delivered by the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR). The grants of up to $5,000 will help not-for-profit organisations in small Victorian dairy communities deliver projects that will benefit local people and strengthen their ability to deal with local issues.

Gardiner Dairy Foundation Chief Executive, Dr Clive Noble, said the funding ensures that Gardiner is contributing to locally identified issues.

“The Community Grants program continues to attract applications from a wide range of community organisations running varying projects. Through this partnership we are contributing to solutions unique to that community to create genuine, long-term impact.

“We also see communities leverage these funds. Often, that cash injection can be the catalyst that enables community groups to undertake projects of larger impact.”

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said the longstanding partnership with Gardiner Dairy Foundation has been successful in creating many exceptional projects within Victoria’s dairy communities.

“Our long partnership with Gardiner Dairy Foundation has enabled us to support Victoria’s dairy communities with funding for projects that tackle local challenges and meet the needs and priorities of each place.

“The program is supporting several projects that will develop young people socially and educationally, and once again, there are fantastic initiatives to improve community spaces such as the addition of tiered seating in Neerim South, a hot water urn for the residents of Leitchville, and erecting shade sails over the hall deck to increase the utility of the Kawarren Recreation Reserve,” Ms Egleton said.

Supported projects include:

• Gippsland Dairy Region – Manna Gum Community House received $4,650 to work with local youth to create provide a program for young people in the community to access to youth service, connection, and solidarity.
• Northern Dairy Region – Rochester Secondary College received $5,000 to restore an existing vegetable garden and incorporate it into the Healthy Eating components of the syllabus.
• South-Western Dairy Region – Anam Cara House received $4,501 to purchase digital equipment, which will allow the facility to offer residents and guests greater connectivity through enhanced internet service and equipment.

Since the launch of the annual program in 2002, the Gardiner Dairy Foundation has invested more than $1.9 million in this program and has supported a total of 497 community projects.

The full list of 2021 Gardiner Dairy Foundation Community Grants Program recipients are:

For the residents of Coragulac and its surrounding communities, having access to excellent early childhood education with the right facilities is a top priority for local families.

The Coragulac & District Kindergarten has provided care and education for their small community for many years. The facility’s three staff and local volunteers run a three-year-old program for 21 children, and a four-year-old program for 20 children.

Play-based learning helps to develop coordination, motor skills and problem solving skills, while focusing on social skills that are invaluable to kids, such as how to get along with their classmates, how to communicate and follow general rules. It also allows kids to follow their imagination and explore their interests.

The energy and imagination the kids bring to the kindergarten is endless, however their ability to play outside was often met by challenges due to weather, and between the scorching summer heat and chilly winter days, the kids weren’t able to enjoy being outside for very long. 

This made some play-based activities very difficult, as the kindergarten lacked a suitable area for things like pot planting and chalk drawing. To continue providing great childcare for local families, the kindergarten needed to upgrade their facilities.

The Kindergarten was awarded $5,000 through the Gardiner Dairy Foundation Community Grants program for their Sheltering Our Children for a Bright and Happy Future project, which built a new verandah for outdoor learning and activities.

The new space allows the kids to enjoy being outside without worrying about the weather, and provides an area for ‘messy’ play-based learning. In addition to the kids who attend the kindergarten during the week, the space is also used after school and on the weekends by families with school-aged children and children with disabilities, as it provides a sheltered, fenced and safe play space.

26 projects funded in Victoria’s dairy farming regions

The Working in Dairy Communities (WIDC) Small Grants program, which is run in partnership between the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) and Gardiner Dairy Foundation, has awarded $121,584 in grants to support 26 projects in Victoria’s three dairy regions.

Now in its 18th year, the WIDC Small Grants program offers up to $5,000 to support community-driven projects that strengthen Victorian dairy communities through enhancing community infrastructure and local capacity.

Dr Clive Noble, Gardiner Dairy Foundation Chief Executive, said this year the Working in Dairy Communities grant program is supporting projects that support early childhood and adult education and stimulate economic recovery. These projects will have long-lasting benefits for these communities.

“Things have been tough for small towns reliant on dairy. These grants will help communities on their renewal journey by supporting projects that will encourage community engagement and social connectedness.

“The diversity of the projects reflects the differing needs of dairy communities too. For example, in Murrabit, a street beautification project will boost morale and add cultural vibrancy, while the funding of children’s activities at the Tarwin District Auto Festival should help to bring families into town for the November event.”

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said the longstanding partnership with Gardiner Dairy Foundation has been so successful because both Foundations share the belief that local groups are best placed to know what their community needs; they just need some support to turn their ideas into reality.

“Working with Gardiner Dairy Foundation over the past 18 years, we’ve seen just how passionate and dedicated local not-for-profit groups are in meeting challenges and creating their own opportunities.

“This year the program is supporting some fantastic initiatives to rejuvenate and extend the capacity of community spaces so that locals have access to high quality facilities – including the addition of an all abilities access ramp at Scotts Creek Hall, gas heaters to warm the many elderly citizens who use the Girgarre Hall, and audio visual equipment to improve local film nights at Yanakie Recreation Reserve and Public Hall.

Some of the 26 grants awarded this round include:

• Gippsland Dairy Region – Leongatha Community Preschool received a $5,000 grant to replace Hassett St Kindergarten’s worn out and damaged outdoor blinds, which will improve the kindergarten’s learning environment.
• Northern Dairy Region – Cobram Community Cinema Inc received $5,000 to purchase kitchen appliances to provide facilities for community use of the space and hospitality training programs at the new cinema facility – now in its final stages of construction – after the town’s previous cinema was destroyed by fire in 2010.
•  South Western Dairy Region – South Purrumbete Recreation Reserve received $4,870 to rewire the Reserve’s buildings and toilet facilities as part of a larger scale project to rejuvenate the last remaining community asset, so that it is fit for regular events including markets and community gatherings.

Since the launch of the annual Working in Dairy Communities (WIDC) Small Grants program in 2002, Gardiner Dairy Foundation has invested more than $1.8 million in this program and has supported a total of 471 community projects.

The full list of grant recipients and their projects are below.

Organisation	Project	Location	Awarded
GIPPSLAND DAIRY REGION
Anglican Trusts Corporation of the Diocese of Gippsland	Mow, Mow, Mow Your Lawn: Improve volunteer support and the upkeep of a community gathering space through the purchase of a ride on Lawnmower.	Trafalgar	$4,899
Boisdale-Briagolong Football Club Inc	Re-development of Boisdale Recreation Reserve’s Outdoor Entertainment Area: Strengthen community connectivity by enhancing the amenity of a venue where locals and visitors can gather for celebrations, recreation and social interactions.	Boisdale	$5,000
Foster Primary School	Phone System Upgrade: Ensure children’s well-being and improve the amenity of the Foster Primary School through the purchase and installation of a new phone system.	Foster	$5,000
Grants Only Group Inc	Better Communication Sounds Good: Strengthen community connectivity and engagement through the purchase of a new sound system.	Tarwin Lower	$4,838
Leongatha Community Pre School Centres Inc	All Weather Screens – Hassett St Kindergarten: Upgrade the amenity of the kindergarten’s learning environment by replacing worn out and damaged outdoor blinds.	Leongatha	$5,000
Manna Gum Community House Inc	Manna Gum Gathering Place -Stage 2: Strengthen educational and social outcomes through equipping a space that is safe and welcoming and can be used for relevant programs and activities.	Foster	$4,308
Venus Bay Tarwin Lower and District Mens Shed Inc	Tarwin District Auto Festival 2020: Increase community engagement and strengthen social outcomes for volunteers through the delivery of Children’s activities at an annual festival.	Tarwin Lower	$5,000
Yanakie Recreation Reserve and Public Hall Reserve	Yanakie Community Movies: Increase community engagement and the long-term sustainability of the Yanakie Public Hall.	Yanakie	$5,000
NORTHERN DAIRY REGION
Campaspe Shire Council	Grow and Share Together: Support community engagement and participation through the creation of a sensory garden.	Stanhope	$3,649
Cobram Community Cinema Inc	Cobram Community Cinema Kitchen Project: Improve the future employment prospects of young people and increase community engagement through the purchase of kitchen appliances for a community cinema.	Cobram	$5,000
Cobram District Children’s Services Inc	Eilleen Taylor – Outdoor & Imaginative Play Promotion: Improve educational and health outcomes for pre-school children by upgrading the Punt Rd Kindergarten’s outdoor play area.	Cobram	$5,000
Cobram District Children’s Services Inc	Punt Rd Kinder & Childcare – Outdoor Play Enhancement: Support children’s learning and development through the purchase of outdoor play equipment.	Cobram	$5,000
Gannawarra Shire Council	Supporting Gannawarra: Women Take a Well-Being Vacation!: Improve health and welfare of Women through the delivery of a Women’s workshop during Women’s Health Week.	Cohuna	$5,000
Girgarre Community Group Inc	Books Bringing People Together: Improve the organisational capacity and increase community participation through the purchase of furniture.	Girgarre	$1,240
Girgarre Development Group Inc – Girgarre Hall Committee	Warmer Winters: Strengthen community connectivity and engagement through installation of a heating system.	Girgarre	$5,000
Kindred Spirits Tatura Co-Operative Limited	Opera at the Dairy Farm: Strengthen local culture and increase community engagement through the presentation of Opera at the Dairy Farm.	Tatura	$3,850
Murrabit Promotions Committee Inc	Murrabit – Colour our Town!: Drive local tourism and strengthen community connection through the delivery of a community-based street beautification project.	Murrabit	$5,000
Rochester Secondary College	The Resilience Project: Increase the well-being of children and young people in the community through the delivery of a resilience program.	Rochester	$5,000
SOUTH WESTERN DAIRY REGION
Bostocks Creek Public Hall	Building a New Kitchen: Increase community engagement and financial sustainability by conducting maintenance on a public building creating a secure hospitable meeting space.	Bostocks Creek	$3,930
Coragulac & District Kindergarten Inc	Create an Indigenous Mural/Artwork ‘Our land/One Community’: Strengthen childhood education and community identity through the creation of a mural that will extend understanding of local culture.	Cororooke	$5,000
Friend’s of St Brigid’s Association	Installing a Ceiling in our Undercover Area: Build community connectivity and capacity through the replacement of an outdoor covering, creating a secure hospitable meeting space.	Crossley	$5,000
Purnim Mechanics Institute	Lighting up the Purnim Township: Contribute to the cultural vibrancy of Purnim township through the purchase and installation of a solar light system.	Purnim	$5,000
Scotts Creek Mechanics Institute and Free Library Reserve	Disabled Ramp and Toilet: Enhance community well-being and connectedness and improve the amenity of a community hall through the installation of an all ability access ramp and toilet.	Scotts Creek	$5,000
Simpson & District Community Centre Inc	Fun without the Sun: Strengthen community connectivity and engagement through the purchase and installation of seats and tables in a public park, creating a comfortable, year-round gathering space.	Simpson	$5,000
South Purrumbete Recreation Reserve	Reconnection to Community Project Stage 1 – Restoring Power: Increase community participation through the improvement of a Recreation Reserve.	South Purrumbete	$4,870
South Western District Restoration Group	Library Extension: Strengthen organisation capacity and social outcomes through equipping a space that is safe and welcoming and can be used for relevant programs and activities.	Cobden	$5,000

The Camperdown Community Garden was originally established in 2009. Through research and analysis conducted in 2017, it was identified that the Camperdown Community Garden had not been functioning in a way that allows this community asset to fulfill the space’s academically established benefits like “enhancing the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being necessary to build healthy and socially sustainable communities.” Considerable work in rebuilding the management and physical structure of the garden was required to address this. 

Much of the local rural area, in Victoria’s south-west, supports the dairy industry which has been impacted by the drought. As a result, the Camperdown & District Community House was seeing an increase in demand for emergency food relief and social support services. Camperdown is a strong community however, the impact of mental health issues, social isolation and drug and alcohol abuse has significant impact on social cohesion and health and wellbeing.

As part of a revamp, the Gardiner Dairy Foundation’s Working in Dairy Communities Small Grant allowed the Camperdown & District Community House to vastly improve the community garden space.

Four new above ground garden beds were designed, built and installed, with additional soil and compost to replenish depleted existing beds. A new accessible gravel path at rear of garden and around the new accessible garden beds was also added.

New garden guidelines and signage was also implemented, allowing individual gardeners to communicate and connect with the broader community. Using the boards, for example, to communicate what they are currently planting, or why they are planting what they are planting, when the produce will be ready to harvest, or other useful and educational information. 

New tools were also purchased that will be usable by people of diverse abilities.

“A friendly and inclusive community / stronger social fabric” has been identified as the primary outcome achieved from this project, with the following being the main reasons why this was identified as the primary outcome, and what we believe the most successful elements of the project to be.

This project was a tremendous success and a delight for everyone who participated in the process.