Twenty-eight community-led projects will share $123,850 in grants, thanks to a partnership between FRRR and the Gardiner Dairy Foundation.

This is the 21^st year of the Gardiner Dairy Foundation Community Grants, which provide up to $5,000 for locally-led projects that strengthen Victorian dairy communities.

Allan Cameron, Gardiner Foundation Chief Executive Officer said that local community groups and not-for-profit organisations play a critical role in the sustainability of Victoria’s dairy communities and it’s great to be able to support them to bring their ideas to fruition.

“Once again, we’ve seen creative projects come through from community groups to address persistent issues. Our commitment to the Victorian dairy industry values these groups and their ability to create vibrant communities broadly benefitting all residents including those involved in dairy. We look forward to hearing about the impacts as these projects are implemented in the coming year,” Mr Cameron said.

This year, the program attracted lots of interest, with community groups reporting challenges in local fundraising following two years of COVID interruptions and increasing operational costs hitting hard in the current economic environment.

Despite this, these local groups show a determination to overcome challenges and invest in projects and initiatives that enhance local opportunities or help fill gaps in service delivery, explains FRRR’s CEO, Natalie Egleton.

“In the applications this round, we saw a range of programs, activities and event equipment purchases that at their core build the social capital of the communities. From supporting a new community choir to several programs for engaging and enabling young people in learning, social and physical development. These and many other projects ensure that community facilities are fit for purpose to support meetings and activities, and that programs such as creating an edible garden present new opportunities for volunteers to develop skills and knowledge.

“This diversity of projects reflects that each of these communities is different and, therefore, so too are their needs and priorities. We are grateful to the Gardiner Foundation for recognising the importance of communities being able to access flexible funding to fill these gaps and for partnering with us for so long to provide this funding,” Ms Egleton said.

Among the projects funded are:

Gippsland

Northern Victoria

South Western Victoria

A full list of grant recipients is detailed below.

The Shire of Cunderdin serves the small towns of Cunderdin and Meckering in the Wheatbelt region of WA. In addition to the usual Council services, the Shire also supports local community groups to help build a place where residents are happy and proud to live by providing excellent community facilities, services and community resilience.

The Council works closely with the Cunderdin Youth Council. This group of extraordinary young people identified that youth in the region have almost no support when it comes to mental health. This is backed up with research by the Commissioner of Children and Young Western Australia, which identified that many regional and remote communities have inadequate age-appropriate services and limited infrastructure such as transport and recreational facilities. Young people in the Wheatbelt raised concerns about confidentiality, lack of anonymity and stigma as impediments to seeking help for mental health issues. The Youth Councillors identified the desire to increase their knowledge of mental health, how they can access support and also how they can support their friends with mental health issues. This need led to the Youth Wellness Project being created.

The Shire of Cunderdin received a $5,000 grant from FRRR via the Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants program. It went toward helping increase the knowledge and skills of parents and carers of young people, as well as that of young people in Cunderdin and Meckering, with a focus on mental health support strategies and how to access external mental health support.

As part of the Youth Wellness Project, the Shire hosted the first Mental Health Parent Information Night. The session aimed to reduce stigma associated with mental health among the community and youth, with a guest speaker from Armed for Life Foundation, which focuses on how to support parents, carers and students with mental health related issues.

Research also identified an acute shortage of services and programs for young people who require early intervention and/or treatment services because they have a mental health issue. Crime statistics for the Wheatbelt show that most issues appear to be more of an anti-social manner, including online / cyber bullying, which  at times progresses to physical assaults. Other issues include mindless damage, which largely is attributed to boredom.

The project that the Youth Council put forward to the Shire of Cunderdin also sought to address these critical issues that young people from the Wheatbelt face every day. The second element of the Youth Wellness project included a full day session, designed to be interactive and free flowing, sharing experiences and building the young people’s confidence in identifying mental health knowledge, and when and how to access support.

Nearly 60 students from Cunderdin District High School, along with five teachers, attended the Youth Wellness Day, which was again run by the team from Armed for Life Foundation. While plans fell through for representatives from various allied and mental health agencies to attend the day, handouts provided information on the services that are available to the community.

Liezl De Beer from the Shire of Cunderdin said that while they would have liked a few more attendees at the information night, they were proud that 15 parents chose to attend. She also said that COVID was a big disruptor, causing them to postpone the event at very short notice.

The Shire of Cunderdin and its Youth Council will continue working together with support such as the Cunderdin Community Resource Centre, Cunderdin Police Officers and local schools to continue building and strengthening their relationships to bring about improved support for local youth.

65 projects funded thanks to Future Drought Fund

FRRR has awarded $3,733,324 to local organisations in 11 regions across Australia for 65 projects that will enhance the capacity and resilience of these agriculture-dependent communities in preparing for the impacts of future drought.

Funded through the Future Drought Fund’s Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative, this is the second tranche of funding delivered through the Initiative’s Community Impact Program. The first tranche was announced last month.

The Initiative is designed to support locally-led organisations across 35 remote, rural and regional regions, identified as vulnerable to the impacts of drought.

Thanks to the Community Impact Program, these organisations will work together to deliver a range of projects, events, initiatives, training, capability building and small-scale community infrastructure projects to assist local people prepare for future droughts.

As part of the Program, a facilitator has been employed in each region to support the lead community partner in engaging and communicating with key stakeholders, helping identify investments that are already happening locally and ensuring that the projects align with the community’s preparedness priorities.

Nina O’Brien, Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lead for FRRR, says that the Foundation is always impressed by the fortitude and adaptability of rural people and their willingness to learn and share innovative ways to build drought resilience.

“The collaborative nature of the Community Impact Program has been well received by local groups. They have really stepped up, coming together to shape local solutions to increase understanding and provide practical solutions to increasing drought preparedness that make sense at a local community level.

“With the Australian Government’s support, these grants will create opportunities for these agriculture-dependent communities to increase social connection, strengthen network opportunities and identify and adopt innovative and transformative ways to build drought resilience.

“We look forward to seeing the impacts of these projects, as they roll out over the next two years,” Ms O’Brien said.

As part of the program, each region can also access tailored Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF) leadership development activities.

ARLF Chief Executive, Matt Linnegar, says the leadership development supports the delivery of local projects and yields long-term benefits for the regions.

“We know that a multimodal approach of leadership development increases the impact the investments have in each region. In addition to the project funding, these leadership development activities build social capital required to support the project and people in each region. We get to connect local networks, create a deeper sense of shared purpose and develop capability that helps people to take action and address challenges and make the most of opportunities.”

Participants also gain access to the wider alumni network of the ARLF. “It’s these connections that prove invaluable to people. When they’re stuck, there’s someone to ask for advice,” Mr Linnegar said.

A detailed list of grant recipients and their preparedness projects is below.

Other elements of the Future Drought Fund’s Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative are also underway, including a Mentoring program, being led by ARLF. Work is also underway on the design of the network to connect leaders working on these projects across the country and FRRR is finalising the appointment of an expertise panel, which the groups awarded funding can draw on, if they don’t have locally qualified people with the skills they need.

In addition, there will be small grants on offer in areas that aren’t covered by these Community Impact Program grants, which will open early next year.

Learn more about the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative.

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

FRRR has awarded $1,340,387 in grants to 131 local groups across remote, rural and regional Australia for projects that support small yet vital community needs, disaster resilience and recovery and COVID-19 recovery initiatives.

The grants are awarded through FRRR’s Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) program, via one of three streams of funding: Small & Vital (S&V), Prepare & Recover (P&R), or the Rebuilding Regional Communities (RRC).

Collaboratively funded by donors ranging from private individuals to larger foundations, the SRC program supports a diverse range of initiatives across remote, rural and regional Australia. While each of the 131 awarded projects meets a unique local need, all funded initiatives have one thing in common – they each have a clear and direct benefit to the community and to those living locally.

Jill Karena, Place Portfolio Lead at FRRR, said it is truly inspiring to see the determination and resilience of community groups and local leaders, who continue to front up and strive for a stronger, and sustainable, rural Australia.

“In this round of SRC grants, we’ve seen a shift in project focus, with a significant increase in initiatives that address the wellbeing and sustainability of community organisations. The majority of these grants are for practical, infrastructure-related projects that will enable local groups in rural places to continue to provide vital services, and ensure community spaces are safe, secure and welcoming.

“Our RRC team continues to coordinate the new webinar series to support applicants called, ‘The Know and The How’. Clearly there’s a strong community appetite for topics that address fundamental issues for the not-for-profit sector, as the third session, focusing on strategic planning for community organisations, has already been booked out twice!” Ms Karena said.

“This is why we continue to see new, and returning, not-for-profits and community groups from remote, rural and regional communities across Australia applying for these grants. In fact, for nearly one third of recipients, in just this round of funding alone, this is the first time that they’ve applied for an FRRR grant.

“For those organisations that are previous grant recipients, the SRC program’s straight-forward application process, and the flexibility of the grants to fund local needs, are just some of the reasons they continue to apply for SRC grants.

“These grants may be relatively small, but they can make a mighty difference to a rural community! That’s why the focus of our end of year fundraising campaign is on small grants. All donations are gratefully received, no matter how small, as this program is needed more than ever,” Ms Karena explained.

Small & Vital

The S&V stream offers grants up to $10,000 for projects that strengthen community connections and meet local priorities.

In total, this round sees $380,177 in grants awarded to 48 local groups and NFPs through the S&V stream.

Three of the 48 projects funded through the S&V stream include:

• St John Ambulance Australia NT Inc – Wurrumiyanga, NT – Increase access to life-saving equipment by providing defibrillators in three remote communities across the Tiwi Islands. $9,518
• Nuriootpa War Memorial Swimming Pool Working Group (auspiced by Nuriootpa Futures Association) – Nuriootpa, SA – Expand opportunities for social connection and access for all-abilities through the installation of accessibility steps at a community pool. $10,000
• Kilcunda Community Development Association Incorporated – Kilcunda, VIC – Improve access at a community gathering space and provide a safe, inclusive venue for older citizens by upgrading the entrance and deck at the Kilcunda Hall. $10,000

Prepare & Recover

In this round, 40 community organisations are sharing $627,307 in grants through the P&R stream. These funds will support rural communities impacted by climate-related disasters including the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires and the 2021-22 East Coast Australia flooding, plus other storm events.

The P&R stream awards grants up to $25,000 for local preparedness, recovery and resilience-building initiatives.

Three of the 40 projects funded through the P&R stream include:

• St Helens Neighbourhood House Association Inc – St Helens, TAS – Improve the mental, physical and social health of a community recovering from bushfire and flood disasters through community garden activities and workshops. $25,000
• Positive Change for Marine Life Limited – Brunswick Heads, NSW – Prepare for future climate-related impacts by delivering a community-led riparian restoration program in the flood-impacted Brunswick River to stabilise riverbanks and restore wetland vegetation. $24,941
• Kalbarri Development Association Incorporated – Kalbarri, WA – Strengthen peoples’ connections and support SES volunteers to recover from the impacts of Cyclone Seroja by holding an event celebrating the community’s resilience. $22,500

Rebuilding Regional Communities – supporting COVID-19 recovery

Funded by the Australian Government, the RRC stream supports remote, rural and regional communities as they continue their COVID-19 recovery journey. This round, grants up to $10,000 were on offer, with $332,903 awarded to 43 local organisations, including:

• MultiSkill Centre Ltd – Cloncurry, QLD – Provide mental health training to staff to enable them to better support disengaged young people accessing services after COVID-19. $9,316
• Bellingen Youth Orchestra Incorporated – Bellingen, NSW – Rebuild connections, reduce social isolation and foster a stronger, more resilient community after COVID-19 by purchasing musical instruments and making them available to disadvantaged young people. $10,000
• Warrnambool & District Community Hospice Inc – Warrnambool, VIC – Sustain the work of volunteers after COVID-19 through the development of a volunteer education and engagement program. $5,000

The SRC program is collaboratively supported by many generous donors, who are acknowledged on the FRRR website.

FRRR always accepts applications to this program, which awards funds roughly four times a year. Local NFPs and community groups are encouraged to review the program guidelines and apply. More information about the SRC program is available at www.frrr.org.au/src. To support grants like this through FRRR, make a tax-deductible donation at frrr.org.au/giving/.

A full list of grant recipients is detailed below.

FRRR has awarded $213,343 via Telstra’s Connected Communities Grant Program to 30 local groups and not-for-profits (NFPs) across remote, rural and regional Australia for projects embracing technology to foster the resilience, environmental sustainability and liveability of their communities.

This is the first round of Telstra’s Connected Communities Grant Program, which is the core of its new partnership with FRRR (announced February 2023).  The focus of the program is on fostering a resilient community, a more sustainable community or a more liveable community.

Awarded grants range from $1,849, which will be used to provide the Victorian community of Strathbogie with access to free Wi-Fi at the local hall, through to $10,000, for projects such as Collinsville Connect Telecentre Group’s cyber security workshop for older members of their Queensland community.

Loretta Willaton, Regional Australia Executive and Regional Customer Advocate at Telstra, said the program’s impacts go beyond simply supplying internet or technology.

“We’re really excited to see this program beginning to come to fruition and to see funding going to rural communities that have been doing it really tough the last few years.

“This round of grants has highlighted the ways in which digital connectivity goes hand-in-hand with social and cultural connectivity. How these factors complement one another has a strong impact on the liveability of a community, so it makes sense that a majority of funded projects are designed to equip locals with the skills to live, learn and work in a digital society.

“That’s what this program is all about – keeping people connected in the most important sense of the word,” Ms Willaton said.

This round saw most projects fall into the liveability category, with a range of initiatives being funded like the provision of Wi-Fi connectivity, new digital equipment, the training of volunteers and community members to build their digital knowledge, be it for cyber security, social media or simply navigating new computing hardware and software that would contribute to better operations of community events and organisations.

Natalie Egleton, FRRR’s CEO, said that there was a lot of interest in the program, with the Foundation receiving many applications for high quality projects.

“Keeping rural communities connected has never been more important, which was reflected by the strong response we received from communities all over remote, rural and regional Australia.

“Community organisations and local not-for-profits (NFPs) in rural communities are clearly keen to make sure locals have the equipment and the knowledge they need to engage in activities that are often taken for granted in metro areas. That might be spreading important information quickly, increasing opportunities for education or providing access to the electronic resources that become vital in emergency situations.

“With so many impressive initiatives on the table, we are grateful that Telstra increased its commitment this year to more than $213,000. There are so many different ways to keep a community connected, and more importantly, a lot of positive outcomes that can be achieved and we look forward to seeing these ideas come to life,” Ms Egleton said.

Some other examples of the projects being funded are below:

A full list of grant recipients is detailed below.

The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) and the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF) have today announced the appointment of Nous Group to assess the impact of the Future Drought Fund’s Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative, which is funded by the Australian Government.

The Future Drought Fund’s Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative aims to build enduring resilience to the impacts of climate change and drought and to enhance the public good in agriculture-dependent communities. It focuses on building community capacity by strengthening social and community networking, support, engagement and wellbeing.

There are five parts to the Initiative, including the Community Impact Program, Small Grants, a Learning Network, Mentoring Program and Expertise Pool to support local groups implementing their projects, all of which will be evaluated.

While the evaluation will explore the outcomes of the Initiative, it will also provide valuable feedback on the various funding mechanisms employed and the impact of leadership development initiatives delivered. This will also reveal insights into the different ways that the Australian Government can invest in remote, rural and regional communities to address locally prioritised challenges. In total, $1.3 million will be invested in the process, reflecting the value that FRRR, ARLF and the Australian Government place on evaluation, something that is often not prioritised or funded.

Multi-year evaluation

The evaluation will take place over two and a half years and see Nous Group consult with the delivery partners, as well as other stakeholders, to develop the evaluation plan and then work closely with local leaders and with the delivery partners on the evaluation itself.

Phase 1 data collection and analysis is already underway, as the first tranche of funding has been awarded. An interim report will be prepared mid-2024, followed by workshops for community groups and stakeholders to unpack the learnings to date. Phase 2 of data collection will then get underway in August 2024, with the final report due September 2025.

FRRR’s Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lead, Nina O’Brien, says that there are great efficiency gains in having Nous Group undertake this work, as they are familiar with both the Future Drought Fund and with the delivery partners. “Nous Group supported the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) to design the Measuring, Learning and Evaluation (MEL) framework for the overall Future Drought Fund, so they are intimately familiar with the overall aims of the various streams of work the Fund supports. They bring a depth of understanding and rigour to the process, while still being able to work closely with and relate to the groups delivering projects on the ground.

“What we are most excited about however, is that this process will help build the capacity of communities and stakeholders to engage with and ultimately undertake more formal evaluations of the projects and initiatives that they run. They can learn by doing. These skills will help local communities then better direct their limited resources, as well as be able to provide greater evidence to support funding applications for their initiatives.

“We look forward to working with Nous Group to co-design the evaluation approach and collect insights for the evaluation. We will also be connecting them directly with the local lead partner and other groups delivering projects in the community to understand the impact of the various elements of the Initiative, as well as bring together community groups and stakeholders to explore and interpret their findings,” Ms O’Brien said.

Matt Linnegar, CEO of the ARLF, says understanding the impact is becoming more important for people participating in initiatives, as well as those providing the support for it to happen.

“It’s increasingly important to understand the impact of initiatives like the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative at depth and from multiple perspectives.

“This is because when we’re talking about leadership across regions and communities, we’re talking about people, relationships, networks and structures. Here, understanding the quantitative impact or intervention on the participant alone isn’t enough.

“It’s important to understand the individual and collective impact those people have on their regions and communities.

“As the ARLF continues to grow its work in the impact evaluation space, we highly value the collaboration with FRRR and work with Nous as an evaluation partner for this Initiative.”

Carlos Blanco, Nous Group Director, says Nous is excited to partner with the FRRR, ARLF and DAFF to collaborate with delivery partners, initiative participants and communities to help build even greater resilience within drought-prone communities.

“Nous has a long history of working with regional communities across Australia. We’re looking forward to co-designing and delivering an evaluation that strengthens the evidence base on how to empower remote, rural, and regional Australia to become more prepared for and resilient to the impacts of drought,” Mr Blanco said.

If community groups have any questions about the evaluation process, they can contact FRRR via futuredrought@frrr.org.au.

Mission Australia has worked in partnership with Mid Coast 4 Kids to deliver ‘The Common Approach’ training to build capability for a whole of community response to child youth wellbeing in the Mid Coast region.

The Mid Coast was dramatically impacted by the South Eastern Australia floods in 2022. The townships of Taree, Wingham and Gloucester were inundated or compromised with flood waters and structural damage cutting communities off for long periods. There was flood damage to farm lands, residential housing areas and outlying communities. This disaster compounded significant stress that has been experienced in the communities for an extended period due to the impact of prolonged drought, COVID-19 and bushfires.

As a result, early childhood centres and schools reported increased anxiety and trauma-related behaviours in children and young people, and the service system was not coping, with allied health and other support services reporting wait times of more than 12 months.

‘The Common Approach’ has equipped a range of members of the Mid Coast community with the skills to have quality conversations and build resilience to respond to the wellbeing needs of children, young people and their families, now and into the future. In total, 228 people including community service, health and education professionals, community volunteers and parents were trained to have evidence based, holistic conversations with children and young people about all aspects of their wellbeing.

Participants report increased confidence in being able to support children and young people to identify strategies to improve individual wellbeing. “Through this intervention we have equipped our community to share responsibility for promoting and supporting the health and wellbeing of children and young people in our community, via evidence informed practice,” says Program Manager Bree Katsamangos.

“Additionally, practitioners will benefit from the opportunity to engage in a bi-monthly Community of Practice to support ongoing development and practice.”

Ourschool connects students and alumni

Ourschool is a not-for-profit organisation that believes past students have a lot to offer current students when it comes to driving equity in education and positive, systemic social impact. In fact, Ourschool’s vision is that every Australian public secondary school has a thriving alumni community whose members are easily able to give back to their old schools. Since 2019, Ourschool has worked with school staff and alumni to inspire and support current students through meaningful engagements in school-based alumni programs.

While principals generally see the value of alumni programs, limited funding in public school budgets makes it hard for school principals to invest resources into an alumni program’s establishment and growth. Chronic teacher and education support staff shortages at regional schools (thanks in large part to continued disruptions from COVID and teacher shortages) make it hard to plan alumni sessions and alumni engagement at schools.

But Ourschool is persisting and working hard to make it possible. They partner with FRRR, using a Not-for-Profit Fundraising Account to assist them to fundraise by offering tax deductibility for donations to help them deliver the program in more public secondary schools in rural and regional Victoria.

The funds are used to build program capacity and increase the number of regional schools receiving assistance from Ourschool. And it’s working, with the program operating in 14 regional schools, up from 10 in 2021. This involved employing more staff to deliver the services to the partner schools.

The reach is impressive — during FY22, 7,174 students were involved in 71 alumni career pathways or subject specific sessions, and 110 past students were involved in the sessions across the 14 schools in the Geelong and Ballarat regions alone.

As these alumni programs are “revolutionary” for public high schools, they require small steps, persistence, and a methodical approach to proving the worth of starting such a program. But even valued programs are faced with challenges.

One of Ourschool’s proposed solutions to this problem is the creation of a walkathon prototype school event to mobilise the fundraising capacity of a school’s community and its alumni to help fund and sustain each school’s alumni program. Ourschool is using some of the funds they’ve raised to develop an event resources and operations manual that will be packaged up for the partner schools to use and amend to run a high-quality, annual walkathon or other type of community-school event that raises funds to continue a school’s alumni program.

Check out this post to learn more about what Ourschool’s alumni activities look like.

Our thanks to United Care Glenelg for sharing this impactful story with us, made possible in part by a $5,000 Strengthening Rural Communities grant awarded in 2022, funded by the Ian Rollo Currie Estate Foundation.

With the cold weather well and truly settling in, the cost of living and energy costs skyrocket; many older residents are left to choose between eating or heating. For some, it can also be the loneliest and most isolating time of the year.

As a response, United Way Glenelg delivered much-needed Winter Care Packages to make residents feel valued as community members.

An essential part of ageing successfully is having enough energy for cooking, heating, cooling, cleaning, and leisure activities.

Nicole Carr, Executive Officer United Way Glenelg said agencies, when conducting home visits, often find residents rarely putting the heating on, choosing instead to sit in a cold room due to increasing costs, said Ms Carr.

Recent research said many older people will avoid using heating – risking their health and well-being to reduce costs.

“We are working very closely with local agencies to ensure we are identifying and reaching those most vulnerable and in need.”

“Being able to meet living costs helps prevent ill health or premature death, manage illness and chronic disease, sustain social relationships, and support positive mental health,” Ms Carr explained.

Delivery of the Care Packages helps in some small way to improve morale and alleviate some of the stresses associated with winter.

Assembled by the Standing Tall group at Heywood & District Secondary College, the students and their mentors, packed 200 boxes with an assortment of non-perishable food and personal care items, a food voucher for purchasing perishable items such as meat, fruit and vegetables, an activity, reading material, a special treat and a personal note from Merino Consolidated Primary School.

“We’re thrilled to include for the first time, a meal voucher. Valued at $20, the voucher enables the resident to go to one of five Hotels in the Glenelg Shire and share a meal with a family member or friend.”

“We approached All Saints Outreach with the proposal to sponsor the meal vouchers and they jumped at the opportunity to help!”

Another special item was the inclusion of homemade knitted blankets, hats and scarves with Julia Street Creative Space and generous local knitters jumping at the opportunity to contribute.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity. So much so we’ve started collecting for next year’s packages.”

The campaign for funding the Winter Care packages began early in March when people were encouraged to “turn off the heat,” creating a lived experience albeit for a short period and generating an understanding of the struggles facing many living in the Glenelg Shire.

Ms Carr said it takes a collaborative approach to support a community.

United Way Glenelg tipped in $10,000 from its Lewis Court Fund to match donations made by individuals.

“We also sought out grants from philanthropic organisations and were pleased to receive generous contributions from FRRR, The Ian Rollo Currie Estate Foundation, All Saints Outreach and Wannon Water.”

From anecdotal evidence, by the way of the messages of gratitude from the many letters, phone calls and cards received, we know the packages are greatly appreciated in supporting older people with basic needs, preventing them from disconnecting from the community and making them feel valued.

Sandra, an 84-year-old widow said the package was a lovely surprise:

“It was very much appreciated. All useful and thoughtful goodies. And the blanket is a huge plus. I am having an operation on my hand tomorrow so the Readers Digest books will be easy to hold. The vouchers will be used. Thanks to each member.”

And Joan from Casterton said, “it’s lovely to know we are still thought of as we get older.”

“This is our small part, but we are relying on the entire community to look out for one another.  Look out for your neighbours, your relatives and friends, anyone that needs a helping hand,” Ms Carr explained.

“These packages will make Winter a little more bearable.”

Recipients were identified through United Way Glenelg Agency partners including Glenelg Shire Council Aged and Disability unit, Portland District Health Palliative Care and District Nursing units, Portland District Health Telecare, Dhauwurd Wurrung Elderly & Community Health Service Inc, Winda Mara, Dartmoor Bush Nursing Centre, Merino Bush Nursing Centre, Casterton Memorial Hospital and St Vincent de Pauls.

Augusta is a town in south-west WA, 40km from the nearest town of Margaret River, which is a larger service centre. Whilst traditionally a town with a reputation for having a high proportion of retirees, numerous young families have returned to Augusta where they grew up, or have taken a sea-change post-COVID.

When the only childcare centre closed in Augusta, families were faced with lengthy travel times to Margaret River, and this has had a flow-on impact on employment, limiting opportunities to access work, and for employers’ to fill staff vacancies.

A group of committed parents, local business owners and early childhood educators got together to set up an incorporated association to open a community-run, not-for-profit centre with 24 places to meet the urgent need for childcare. They successfully navigated the requirements and approvals of the Education Care Regulatory Unit and the Federal Government Childcare Subsidy program however, increased building costs compounded by development approval delays means the new centre is yet to open.

The best laid plans of mice and men…

Initially the project intended to purchase resources to outfit the new centre. Instead FRRR was able to work with the group to progress a variation to the original project, to help them adapt to their changing circumstances.

The group instead launched a vacation care service for children, kindy to 12-year-olds, filling a gap in the community’s childcare needs. They used a $10,000 Strengthening Rural Communities grant, funded by FRRR, to purchase educational resources that are of a higher quality and more durable than the donated and second-hand older toys and cheaper equipment that had previously been used.

These resources will last longer and extend the children’s imagination, and have added real value to the program and been much loved by the children. They will also be able to used by the new childcare centre when it eventually does open.

Kylie Lucas, Treasurer of the Augusta & Districts Childcare Centre, noted in their acquittal: “We are very grateful for the donors and team at FRRR for enabling our project to be delivered with better resources, and it has made a real difference to the kids, working families and community members in our little town. The committee appreciated FRRR’s flexible and supportive approach.”