Funding helps local preparedness projects get off the ground

Local groups in Korumburra, Myrtleford and Whittlesea township and surrounds, are taking an active approach to preparing their regions for future disaster, thanks to a partnership with FRRR’s Disaster Resilient: Future Ready (DR:FR) Victorian program.

As part of the place-based DR:FR program, the three regional communities are sharing a total of $120,839 in grants. These funds are already being put to use, with communities leading local initiatives designed to improve wellbeing, increase preparedness and strengthen resilience so that each place has greater capacity to endure, adapt and evolve positively when faced with the impacts of climate, disasters and other disruptions.

Nina O’Brien, FRRR’s Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lead, said that FRRR is the DR:FR initiative is an active partnership between FRRR and the communities.

The premise of the DR:FR program is to partner with local groups and community members, and provide them with the tools and resources to identify what their community needs to prepare for the impacts of climate change, natural disasters and broader disruptions.

“The priority projects have been under development since March, so it’s a major milestone to see the local groups getting these important ideas off the ground.  We are inspired by the passion and persistence shown by each group and their eagerness to make a difference when the next emergency arrives. “We look forward to continuing to partner with these communities to better prepare their regions to withstand the impacts of future disasters,” Ms O’Brien said.

Community updates

Korumburra

Korumburra is setting up a Helping Hub, to be run from the local Community House.

The Helping Hub will match community volunteers with those in need of assistance via a website, social media and six-monthly volunteer expos.

The Hub will build community networks and provide connection to residents who need support, improving resilience generally and in emergencies such as storms or heatwaves.

Myrtleford

Mytrleford is fortunate to have a range of community groups and resources that can be mobilised to support the community during a disaster.

FRRR funding has been used to engage a person in a Community Connector Role for the Myrtleford neighbourhood to understand each group’s facilities and resources.

They will continue to work with the groups to plan how they can collectively support residents in the first 72 hours of an emergency event such as flooding or bushfire, and develop a Contacts Directory and Community Assets Map to make communication and co-ordination of resources easier in an emergency.

Whittlesea Township and Surrounds

Whittlesea Township and Surrounds’ Community Resilience Committee (CRC) is using their grant to employ a project officer to support a range of initiatives.

The CRC is keen to ensure that grassroots community action in future events is recognised in the formal Municipal Emergency Management Plan (MEMP) and, therefore, by the formal disaster response agencies. They have received support from the MEMP Committee and are currently rewriting a previous Community Emergency Management Plan, to be endorsed later in 2023.

A key project for this group is to set up a Community Emergency Response Network (CERN) of local residents and community organisations. For future large fires and storms, the CERN would be recognised as part of the formal emergency response and would coordinate the local community-level relief efforts.

The DR:FR initiative is collaboratively supported by many generous donors, who are acknowledged on the FRRR website.

For more information about this program, visit https://frrr.org.au/drfr-victoria/.

“The NRCF Board and staff certainly value the long-term relationship with FRRR, which is so important to us as a rural and regional Foundation. The support for NRCF’s community impact and grants team has been essential to achieve impact in the community.” Sam Henderson, CEO, NRCF

Northern Rivers Community Foundation (NRCF) was established in 2004 to connect people who care with local causes that matter, to improve community wellbeing for the Northern Rivers region of NSW. They have one of the largest footprints of any community foundation in Australia, covering from Tweed to Grafton, from the ocean all the way up past Kyogle, Woodenbong and Casino. NRCF is dedicated to improving the lives of those less fortunate in their community, either from economic circumstances, mental illness, disability, learning difficulties or drug / alcohol addiction. More recently their focus has been to support their community to navigate their disaster recovery journey following bushfires and then widespread flooding events across the region in early 2022.

NRCF has held a Fundraising Account partnership with FRRR since 2017 to attract tax-deductible donations, enabling them to help community organisations meet increasing demands on their services and work together to build resilience across the community.

Initially they raised funds through a general Community Fund, and in 2020 established the Resilience & Regeneration Fund to raise funds specifically to support disaster recovery and preparedness in their region. The Fund responds to the increasingly frequent natural disasters affecting the region and the global pandemic. Recognising that these are not isolated events, and that resilience and regeneration are integral to a sustainable and prosperous region, they wanted to attract as much money as possible.

As at 30 June 2023, NRCF has raised $1,171,600  via these two Funds. In 2022, they announced a record distribution of $327,177 to 49 recipients across the seven LGA’s of the Northern Rivers. This was supported by distributions totalling more than $162,000 from their FRRR Fundraising Account in FY22. Projects span across disadvantage, housing and homelessness, recovery and resilience, and the environment.

NRCF will also be looking to use the funds raised through the Resilience & Regeneration Fund to respond in a meaningful and impactful way to the devastation brought about by the two 2022 flooding events that occurred in quick succession through their Annual Community Grants program. Informing their response is their ongoing research project to understand the issues and conditions impacting community recovery with a view to better support local not-for-profits and their activities into the future. In May 2023 they released their second flood impact report ‘Research, Respond, Recover: A year on from disaster’ which offers valuable insights across a range of indicators about how the community is recovering. It highlights gaps in funding for medium to longer term recovery, and ongoing key issues of concern around health and wellbeing, housing and homelessness. 

With this increase in support comes a need for increased resourcing. Fortunately, NRCF has also received donations via their Fundraising Account specifically to support their operational and staffing costs through their General Fund. As a result, the role of Grants and Community Impact Manager has been introduced, which will boost their capacity, enabling them to expand their community grant programs and supporting them to broaden their reach.

Sam Henderson, NRCF’s CEO, said ‘The NRCF Board and staff certainly value the long-term relationship with FRRR, which is so important to them as a rural and regional Foundation. The support for NRCF’s community impact and grants team has been essential to achieve impact in the community.’ The need to respond to disasters has now increased so much that they’ve also recruited a part-time Grants Administration Officer to support the Community Impact Manager.

Environs Kimberley (EK) is the peak not-for-profit environmental organisation for the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia. Since 1996 EK has been dedicated to conserving and protecting the Kimberley’s natural, environmental, and cultural values. EK has supported and coordinated cultural-natural resource management (CNRM) projects in the region since 2007.  

EK collaborates respectfully and over the long term with Aboriginal rangers and their communities, First Nations groups, community groups, government, and scientists to apply traditional knowledge and the best scientific methods to CNRM projects including: invasive species and fire management; ecosystem restoration, threatened species, ecological survey, and monitoring; eco-cultural documentation and education.

EK’s Kimberley Community Seedbank (KCS) project was established in 2015 and EK has been working to develop the Seedbank into a sustainable social enterprise that furthers the conservation and protection of the Kimberley’s incredible natural and cultural values. In 2020, Environs Kimberley received a Strengthen Rural Communities (SRC) grant of $24,995, thanks to John T Reid Charitable Trusts, as funding towards Strengthening the Kimberley Community Seedbank: a sustainable social enterprise project.

A First Nations-led bush resource industry can support Aboriginal communities across the Kimberley to participate in economic development on their own terms and to undertake meaningful and sustainable work on Country.  As a backdrop to this, the Australian bush resource industry has seen enormous growth over the past few decades, but despite this, a national survey by Bushfood Sensations (2019) found only 1% of the industry was led by First Nations people.

Hence, EK’s Sustainable Communities team has worked to build capacity for First Nations people to engage in and lead a Kimberley native plant resource industry. EK worked with four ranger groups to co-design business plans and complementary industry resources for two emerging social enterprises: Kimberley Seeds, and Wattleseed Collective where EK has supported Aboriginal collectors to develop skills in the exciting bush food and restoration industries to produce sustainable, socially responsible products.

The grant funded Environs Kimberley project management, co-design workshops, and the development of viable business models. EK delivered training to communities and ranger groups across the West Kimberley and established seed storage, roasting and cleaning infrastructure.

The Bardi Jawi Oorany Rangers, Karajarri Rangers, Nyangumarta Rangers, Yawuru Country Managers and Yiriman Women’s Bush Enterprise’s provided in-kind time and vehicle use for seed collection. EK provided in-kind time, seedbank and seed collecting equipment and coordinated volunteer activities. EK supported groups to develop their own business plans, financial models, packaging, marketing materials and a sales strategy.

EK coordinated the first pilot for commercial scale harvesting of wattleseed in 2022. The harvest saw the Wattleseed Collective gather and clean 40 kgs of (mostly) soap wattle (Acacia colei). This amazing effort resulted in sufficient product to enable Environs Kimberley to enter a product development phase and begin a process of securing access to markets for the coming year’s collections.

EK developed resources including a business plan template, a wattleseed harvesting guide, and wattleseed cleaning guide which are now available to share across the network of Kimberley-based Aboriginal-led businesses and individuals.

First Nations ranger programs are major employers in remote communities.  By continuing to increase the capacity of the rangers in seed collection and social enterprise development, and working with other community members, Environs Kimberley is backing stronger communities to engage in the development of local, sustainable, conservation and cultural economies.

Applications are now open for the ANZ Seeds of Renewal program, with grants of up to $15,000 available for not-for-profit organisations in remote, rural and regional areas to support the ongoing prosperity of regional Australia.

The program, which is now in its 21^st year, is administered by FRRR, and has provided more than $5.5 million to more than 800 community groups for approximately 900 projects to help build vibrant and sustainable communities.

This year, the ANZ Seeds of Renewal program is again offering a share of $250,000 to community organisations in remote, rural or regional locations for projects aligned to four focus areas:

• Environmental sustainability: initiatives that restore and conserve the natural environment or which contribute to lower carbon emissions, water stewardship and waste minimisation;
• Financial wellbeing: particularly for under-represented and disadvantaged people in the community, including initiatives that improve economic participation. For example, building financial literacy and vocational skills and providing access to meaningful work;
• Housing access: initiatives and programs that support those experiencing or at risk of homelessness or that provide supports for people living with disability; or
• Projects that assist local communities to thrive: by either enabling vibrant communities where everyone can participate and build a better life, or creating sustainable communities that help deliver demonstrable medium to long term economic sustainability.

ANZ General Manager Business Banking Jenefer Stewart said: “ANZ is committed to enhancing the wellbeing and prosperity of the communities where our people live and work, and where our business operates. One way we do this is by reinvesting in communities through programs like Seeds of Renewal. This year we are proud to once again contribute to the long-term growth and sustainability of small rural communities,” Ms Stewart said.

FRRR CEO Natalie Egleton said: “In the current financial environment, we know there is a heightened need to support and strengthen the sustainability of rural Australia. We believe local leaders and community groups are best placed to identify and address the environmental, financial and housing concerns in their region, and to know first-hand what their communities need to thrive. Programs like ANZ Seeds of Renewal mean we can support these types of meaningful and community-led projects that promote the sustainability and liveability of remote, rural and regional Australia. We look forward to seeing what projects local groups put forward this year,” Ms Egleton said.

Last year, ANZ and FRRR provided grants to 20 community groups for projects including preserving Anbinik Rainforests through Indigenous Fire Management in Arnhem Land, NT; building capability and confidence by providing practical financial literacy skills and awareness training to women in East Gippsland, Victoria; providing fit out of accommodation to support women at risk of domestic violence and homelessness in remote WA; and delivering key skills training to increase the employability of young people in agriculture in Crookwell, NSW.

Applications open on 12 July and close 5pm AEST, 10 August 2023.

A grantseeker workshop will be held online from 1 – 2pm AEST, on Wednesday 19 July, 2023.

For more information about ANZ Seeds of Renewal, or to apply for a grant visit: https://frrr.org.au/funding/place/anz-seeds-of-renewal/.

It has been over 20 years since the rural town of Marama has had an active committee. In past generations of the committee, Marama Community Incorporated has been extremely social, connected and dedicated to keeping the town together. The main purpose of the committee was to bring people and community together with sport, dances, weddings, social events and church services. All of these events were usually held at the community-owned hall.

Now with a newly elected committee, the current generation was keen to foster a sense of belonging by renewing and improving the hall and providing a central place for activities to be held once again, however the space had fallen into disrepair after years of no use.

During the time the new committee was being elected, the district was also experiencing severe drought. A lot of the local farming community were feeling the effects on their mental health from prolonged drought. This added another layer of importance to the renewal of the hall; the community needed somewhere to come together and support one another.

With a $150,000 grant from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund’s Networks to Build Drought Resilience the committee was able to fund the underpinning, roof replacement, ceiling replacement, stone work, paint the interior, electrical work (including air-conditioning), and new toilet facilities.

The project relied on a big commitment from the community to get involved through volunteer work, local contractors and working bees to get the job done. But there was never any doubt they wouldn’t pull through!

Since completing the renovations on the hall the community has seen a dramatic shift in the attitudes of residents. Not only did the project give them a reason to meet throughout construction, but they now have a shared space to use that they can be proud of.

“Overall, the finished project is something we as a community are very proud of, and it has helped bring us together to work as a team to achieve a better, more user-friendly outcome.”

The hall has been host to a number of important community events since its completion and is booked in to host future events held by key industry groups that will benefit the community by improving abilities to adapt, reorganise or transform in response to a changing climate, increasing variability and scarcity of rainfall and changed seasonality of rainfall.

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.