Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR)
FRRR’s CEO, Natalie Egleton, recently spoke at the Social Impact in the Regions Conference. Before participating in a panel discussion that was focussed on addressing challenges in remote, rural and regional Australia, Natalie delivered a brief presentation. The following are her speech notes.
All too often, regional communities are only visible to the rest of the country and to policymakers through a lens of crisis, disadvantage, or as somewhere from which resources needed by others can be extracted.
From the hundreds of community grants and conversations we have at FRRR, we know that is not the narrative regional communities want to focus on. The challenges are definitely there; regional communities live them every day. But what would happen if we flipped the narrative to one where regions are understood, invested in and valued for their intrinsic value – their innovation, intelligence, creativity and contribution to their own and the nation’s wellbeing and economies?
The possibilities are remarkable when we do this. I’m going to share three case studies of communities and organisations that FRRR has partnered with over multiple years as they navigated these very questions. I’m not telling their story on their behalf but sharing what we noticed throughout our funding partnerships with them. They stand out but are by no means the only such organisations and communities. And a hint – there are some common themes about the different types and roles of backbone organisations; the capacity for challenges to catalyse innovation; and why place-based change takes time – sometimes generations.
Red Ridge Interior Queensland
Red Ridge Interior is in Blackall – almost the centre of Queensland. They are an arts organisation at their heart and evolved into so much more during the drought that crippled much of western Queensland in the mid 2000’s until very recently. Their model is one of collaboration that supports outcomes like intergenerational connection, First Nations economic self-determination, women’s health and wellbeing, and leadership development.
The first grant we awarded was just $2,500 to help them build a better business model. We have since supported many of their initiatives. Over the years, as they’ve grown in confidence – and people have built confidence in them –they’ve blown it out of the park.
Red Ridge described themselves as an auspice for local projects – but I would argue that they have played a backbone role for western Queensland.
In remote communities like Blackall, there are fewer services, small, dispersed populations, and narrow economies. They need organisations that can play integrated and multifaceted roles across population groups, industries and join dots in policy and funding systems to make them work for their local context.
One of their activities is the now annual Channel Country Ladies Day – an event with the tagline ‘inspiration in isolation’. It brings together women from across the channel country, right down into Birdsville and further north to Longreach and surrounds.
It was an idea born during the drought, when the load that women were carrying – caring for family, finding ways to generate off-farm income, managing the farm business – was noticed, alongside the fact that they weren’t caring for themselves. This is not any ordinary event; it brings together hundreds of women for reprieve, wellbeing support, fun and skill development. It also builds economic opportunity by creating space for micro-enterprises, and enterprise development. It’s a space for hard conversations and care for people doing hard work.
As the drought’s impacts deepened, Red Ridge saw an opportunity to play a role in ‘finding beauty in the drought’ and created the Dress the Central West event. They partnered with Central West Hospital and Health Service (CWHHS) and Central West Aboriginal Corporation (CWAC) to create the fashion parade of the year, Dress the Central West. Teaming with Fashion designer Claudia Williams from Llani Creative, each outfit represented the history and traditions of the four communities involved in the project – Winton, Blackall, Longreach and Barcaldine.
The event tapped into layers of talent in the community and gave people who were often excluded from opportunities a platform to shine. With support from a fashion designer, communities designed several outfits that best represented their towns, stories and culture in the adversity of drought, using recycled or found material.
The work that Red Ridge and the communities of the Central West faced – and still face – include big challenges, but they have found ways to create energy from within communities to co-create new stories and futures.
Red Earth Community Foundation
Red Earth Community Foundation is one of about 40 place-based philanthropic foundations in Australia – a network that is growing and evolving dynamic community-owned models of generating and redistributing capital in their local communities. Red Earth covers the North and South Burnett and Cherbourg communities in Queensland.
FRRR has partnered with Red Earth since it was a seed of an idea, through many grants and strategic partnerships. It’s a leading model of community mobilisation and transformation from the ground up.
Like many innovations, a crisis was the catalyst for the formation of Red Earth Community Foundation, following a major flood event in 2014. Conversations among a few key people were about what the Burnett needed in 100 years’ time – it was a different vision and one that held a new narrative about its challenges. This was in a context of the Burnett describing the region as the hole in the doughnut – the region that had high needs and one of the highest rates of socio-economic disadvantage in the country. They saw investment flowing everywhere but the Burnett Inland.
Funding to support flood recovery occurred around the same time as funding to support setting up good governance for the emerging Foundation. The latter involved much consultation and education about what a community foundation structure might bring to the Burnett.
There was a space to shift – they could continue blaming and being victims of poor systems, or they could mobilise and create something else. So, they set out on a different path to most community foundations – instead of starting with money, they started with people and developed a community leadership program. More than 200 people have now graduated from the program and are activating opportunities across the region.
In just a decade, Red Earth has become a vital backbone for the region – they are a trusted convenor of community voice and action. Beyond the leadership program, they are facilitating major drought resilience and disaster preparedness initiatives, and brokering opportunities for community benefit from renewable energy projects.
FRRR and Red Earth are currently partnering on the Disaster Resilient: Future Ready program, which is supporting community co-design of disaster resilience across the small towns in the Burnett Inland region. The teams were together at the recent AIDR conference to showcase the work and learnings.
Red Earth’s is a story of people power and a collective decision to adopt an opportunity mindset.
Toolangi
The final example is not of a single organisation but rather a small community – population just 335 – in an area affected by Black Saturday bushfires in 2009; it’s about an hour and a half north east of Melbourne.
In this tiny village, the Community House is the hub and provides a central point of connection and information. It is mostly volunteer run, with a tiny amount of funding for operations and programming. When the fires impacted the town, the Community House was the central organisation for recovery efforts. They had to step up and play a far more complex role in rebuilding the town and people’s lives.
The Community House brought together the ideas and needs of the town and went about gradually planning and actioning – with small amounts of funding as they went. Of course they couldn’t do it all at once. And as such a small town and organisation, nor could they accept too much support all at once. So, FRRR worked alongside them, supporting the community when they were ready and as needs evolved and people were able to do some of the actual implementation.
The focus was on long-term recovery, regeneration, over weeks and months. Support was given in different places, at different times. The support via the Community House similarly took different forms, and as needs evolved, investment went with them. Some of the projects supported by FRRR included strategic thinking about how to approach recovery; a focus on wellbeing; the need to create a place where health and fitness – physical and emotional wellbeing – could support social wellbeing across different groups – students; women; men etc.
The weekly community fitness program had a huge impact on the community as they recovered and found a ‘new normal’ after the fires. People were at risk of becoming isolated and mental health was a growing issue. In a largely ageing community, physical wellbeing was the way in to addressing mental wellbeing. An evaluation of this program found significant reduction in risk factors and increases in wellbeing at a population level. In fact, the program is still running.
They also hosted others including the men’s shed and the community garden – and reactivated spaces in town that could support connection, healing and regeneration. While there were many people involved, one person in particular was, and still is, the glue for this town – she carefully, kindly, and strategically worked with the community to reimagine spaces and opportunities. She did it knowing that they would never attract the big money or media headlines and so worked smartly too – with locally led sustainability as the goal.
That’s often the reality for those working in remote, rural and regional communities – the challenges are there and it’s up to those of us living and working there to find our unique assets and strengths.
These three examples showcase what’s possible if we flip the narrative and invest in communities, especially in backbone organisations that can take carriage of maintaining focus for the long game. They come in different shapes and sizes and, when built from and by community, are vital parts of community infrastructure. The other lesson I’d share, both from my work at FRRR but also as the resident of a small rural community, is to work on the assumption that the money may never come – hard as that is, it can liberate new thinking and opportunity. I hope that these anecdotes encourage you to reconsider your view of remote, rural and regional Australia. It’s not all doom and gloom – even when times are tough. Imagine what might be possible if regions are truly understood, invested in and valued for their innovation, intelligence, creativity and the contribution they make to our nation’s wellbeing and prosperity.
FRRR has today announced that 19 community organisations across Australia will share more than $157,766 from the FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grants program grants to implement projects based on the ideas generated at this year’s ABC Heywire Summit in Canberra.
This year’s grants will help activate projects based on four of the ideas developed at the annual youth summit, all of which respond to issues that concern young people in remote, rural and regional Australia.
The original ideas were:
As part of FRRR’s commitment to supporting the transition of leadership to the next generation, the successful grants were reviewed and recommended by a Youth Assessment Committee, under the guidance of FRRR Directors and staff. FRRR also employed two interns, both former Heywire winners, over the last few months, who assisted with the program administration and assessment.
Mahsa Nabizada, Youth Assessment Committee Chair, said, “The Heywire Grants offer an incredible opportunity for young people from all corners of Australia to bring their ideas to life and actively shape their communities. It’s empowering to see these young leaders take ownership of the challenges they face and turn them into meaningful change. These grants show that when we invest in young people, we’re investing in the future of our communities.”
Deb Samuels, FRRR’s People Portfolio Lead said that pleasingly, many of these projects funded will be led by the young people that they are designed to benefit.
“Representation matters and valuing the lived experience and unique perspectives of young people is vital, so we’ve actively sought ways to involve more young people this year, plus we actively invited young people to apply for the grants. And it worked, as we saw a significant uptick in the number of applications for projects led by young people. After all, who better to know what’s going to work for other young people than their peers.
“For example, Riverland Youth Theatre has received a grant to implement The Bigger Picture idea. Led by a Heywire winner, the funds will support nine months of activities, including monthly events tailored to the interests of young people in that part of the Mallee, with a focus on queer and socially isolated youth. This kind of project is exactly why we love this program so much. It will not only deliver on the issues that the Heywirers raised at the national Summit, but in doing so, it will also build leadership skills and create employment opportunities for young people.
“This round we also saw the largest number of projects we’ve funded in Queensland, thanks to The John Villiers Trust and The Clem Jones Group. Their support has meant that we can fund seven wonderful initiatives in six communities. I really can’t wait to see what impact each of these projects has in their community over the coming year,” Ms Samuels said.
Justin Stevens, ABC Director News, said that the ABC Heywire Summit brings forth ideas created by young individuals from regional communities, aimed at benefiting their peers. “These grants provide remote, rural, and regional areas with a practical way to inspire the next generation of leaders to voice their concerns and take action on issues that matter to them and their communities.”
These grants are generously co-funded by contributions from The Sally Foundation, The John Villiers Trust, The Clem Jones Group, David Mactaggart Foundation, and several private donors. This funding announcement brings the grants total to more than $1.7 million over the last 13 years.
The full list of recipients and a snapshot of their projects are below.
| Organisation | Project | Location | Grant | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEW SOUTH WALES | ||||||
| The Dunn & Lewis Youth Development Foundation Limited on behalf of Connect 4 Community | The Bigger Picture Enhance community identity and wellbeing by creating social spaces and activities for young people. | Ulladulla | $4,000 | |||
| The Dunn & Lewis Youth Development Foundation Limited on behalf of Live Skillfully | MEE (Mentoring Educating Empowering) Equip young people with essential life skills and boost their confidence for post-school life. | Ulladulla | $2,200 | |||
| The Returning Indigenous Corporation | Youth 2 Grassroots | Alstonville | $10,000 | |||
| QUEENSLAND | ||||||
| Ability Agriculture Foundation Limited | The Bigger Picture Empower students with disabilities in agriculture by funding Vegepods for 10 rural schools, promoting inclusive education and fostering interest in agricultural careers. | Various Locations | $10,000 | |||
| Beaudesert State High School P&C Association | The Bee Your Personal Best Project Strengthen food security education by funding an apiary at Beaudesert State High School, enhancing student engagement, community involvement, and environmental understanding. | Beaudesert | $7,764 | |||
| Bundaberg Regional Council | A Place for You | Bundaberg | $10,000 | |||
| Co-Exist Australia Ltd | Youth 2 Grassroots Empower youth leaders to sustain environmental action by funding Collective Leaders, ensuring consistent monthly events and enhancing wellbeing for young participants. | Cairns | $9,960 | |||
| National Rural Health Student Network | MEE (Mentoring Educating Empowering) Promote rural health careers inspiring Indigenous students in rural and remote QLD to pursue health careers, to enhancing healthcare access and representation. | Yarrabah | $10,000 | |||
| The Trustee for Top Blokes Foundation | MEE (Mentoring Educating Empowering) Inspire young men in schools through a peer-led mentoring and personal development program. | Toowoomba | $10,000 | |||
| SOUTH AUSTRALIA | ||||||
| Barmera District War Memorial Community Centre Inc on behalf of Part of Things | The Bigger Picture Establish a creative youth space for young people to come together and connect. | Port Lincoln | $10,000 | |||
| Riverland Youth Theatre | The Bigger Picture Establish a '3rd place' program for young people to come together and connect. | Renmark | $9,995 | |||
| The South Australian Youth Forum Inc | The Bigger Picture Enable regional youth to have their voices heard as part of a regional youth forum tour. | Various Locations | $10,000 | |||
| TASMANIA | ||||||
| Huon Valley Police & Community Youth Club Inc | A Place for You Create a space for youth to come together and foster supportive networks and connections. | Huonville | $9,702 | |||
| St Helens Neighbourhood House Association Inc | The Bigger Picture Foster an inclusive community with a youth-led LGBTQIA+ community event. | St Helens | $8,125 | |||
| THEIRS Inc | A Place for You Improving mental health awareness for youth with a mental health advocate tour across Tasmania. | Burnie | $10,000 | |||
| VICTORIA | ||||||
| Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network Ltd | Youth 2 Grassroots Empower rural youth with skills to become leaders in grassroots climate advocacy at a national camp. | Various Locations | $10,000 | |||
| Wycheproof Community Resource Centre Inc | The Bigger Picture Provide Wycheproof youth with their own space with a kitchen renovation, outdoor garden and podcast series. | Wycheproof | $4,020 | |||
| WESTERN AUSTRALIA | ||||||
| Green Skills Inc | Youth 2 Grassroots Promote sustainable fashion and waste reduction through upcycling workshops and fashion show. | Denmark | $9,000 | |||
| Shire of Cunderdin | A Place for You Empower Cunderdin youth with mental health support and coping strategies in a one day event with workshops and presentations. | Cunderdin | $3,000 | |||
In partnership with the Sally Foundation and the ABC, FRRR has awarded $40,000 in grants to eight youth-led community projects in remote, rural and regional Australia as part of the Trailblazers program. The young people have partnered with local community organisations to receive the grants.
Trailblazers are invited to apply for funds to help them to take their project ideas to the next level, or for personal development opportunities to build their skills and networks and boost their capacity to strengthen their community. This year’s themes centred around inclusivity, access to services and education, as well as improving social connectedness.
Lauren Ryan, FRRR’s Youth Futures Manager, said that it was great to have several alumni on the Advisory Panel.
“This year we had four previous Trailblazers helping out with the selection process, all of whom provided unique insights, curiosity and constructive feedback to the applicants.
“Three of the Trailblazers to receive funding this year are previous grant recipients. The idea behind funding them again is to help in developing capacity for the sustainability of their projects, which are making a great impact within their communities.”
The Sally Foundation partners with FRRR through a Giving Sub-Fund, which helps to ensure that their funding reaches groups and young people in all corners of the country. The priority of this fund is to invest in young regional leaders to build their leadership skills, and their capacity to make a difference in their communities.
Co-founder of The Sally Foundation, Geraldine Roche, said “The Trailblazers program has shown to be an important stepping stone for the young people involved to achieve and exceed their goals within their communities. Grants from the Development Fund are designed to help these change-makers do what they can to make regional Australia a better place.
“This is our fifth year in supporting Trailblazers, and it’s inspiring to see their enthusiasm and the impact of their projects addressing the needs of young people in their local communities.”
This year’s recipients are detailed below.
| Organisation | Project | Location | Grant | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEW SOUTH WALES | ||||||
| Ability Agriculture Foundation Limited | Audiovisual Podcast Pilot Raise awareness and promote inclusion for persons and families with disabilities in agriculture by sharing the story of an individual with a neurodiverse invisible disability in rural Queensland, highlighting their talents and skills through an audiovisual podcast pilot. | Kempsey | $6,000 | |||
| NORTHERN TERRITORY | ||||||
| Artback NT Incorporated | One Percent - Better Communities Offer free, accessible programs to build resilience and promote healthier lifestyles through kickboxing, team building, mindfulness, and men’s behaviour change models while addressing domestic violence, concluding with meditation and key topic discussions. | Darwin | $8,000 | |||
| QUEENSLAND | ||||||
| Now I Can Run Inc | NICaR Educational and Upskill Development Fund Support compliance and opportunities for the organisation through purchase of governance software. | Gold Coast | $2,925 | |||
| TASMANIA | ||||||
| Now I Can Run Inc | FIST 2025 Improve social connections, reduce isolation and grow a connected community for people interested in Esports through the Esports major competition. | Launceston | $2,515 | |||
| Self Help Workshop Inc | Project Vulcan - Adelaide Fringe and Hobart Tours Explore ancient myths while highlighting facts about climate change and Australia's relationship with fire, told by actors living with disabilities, emphasising that we all have a voice regardless of age, ability, or gender. | Exeter | $4,000 | |||
| THEIRS Inc | From Little Things, Big Things Grow - Growing THEIRS Capacity Strengthen sustainability and impact in the community through financial management, self-development, relationship building and branding initiatives. | Launceston | $6,560 | |||
| VICTORIA | ||||||
| Now I Can Run Inc | Money for the Young Address the lack of financial literacy resources in rural and regional areas by providing interactive workshops for individuals aged 15 to 26. | Bairnsdale | $2,000 | |||
| Now I Can Run Inc | Social Vision for Young Adults Provide a safe space for 18 to 30 year olds who are blind or have low vision to discuss issues and enhance independence, mental health and community engagement through events, podcasts and professional support. | Ballarat | $8,000 | |||
The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) has made changes to two other roles in the Leadership Team.
In response to increased focus on climate change and in particular energy transition in remote, rural and regional communities, FRRR has created a new role on the Leadership Team to focus on climate solutions.
Former FRRR General Manager of Partnership and Philanthropy, Sarah Matthee, has been appointed Climate Solutions Portfolio Lead. In this role, she will work with funders and community groups to better respond to changing climate impacts and drive local solutions that reduce emissions through education, engagement and action.
Natalie says that while FRRR has always worked in this area, the increasing prominence of these issues prompted the organisation to separate Climate Solutions from the Disaster Resilience and Recovery portfolio.
“Sarah is personally passionate about this space and, having been with FRRR for the last six years leading our Partnerships and Services team, she knows the key stakeholders well and has hit the ground running.
“I am also delighted to announce that we’ve appointed Jillian Kirwan Lee as Head of Partnerships. Jillian joined us in 2022, working alongside Sarah, and brings great experience in strategic partnership development and relationship management.
“I’m delighted to have her join the Leadership Team, helping grow our network of supporters to achieve our goal of granting out $30 million per year to support the remote, rural and regional communities that are at the heart of Australia’s prosperity,” Natalie explained.
Networks to Build Drought Resilience and Drought Resilience Leaders
FRRR will soon be providing increased support into remote, rural and regional communities to prepare for the impacts of drought, after being selected by the Australian Government to deliver its Networks to Build Drought Resilience program. FRRR is also part of a consortium delivering the Drought Resilience Leaders program.
Funded through the Australian Government’s $5 billion Future Drought Fund, both programs will help remote, rural and regional people access the tools, skills and support to build and foster leader networks, and to develop and roll out drought resilience initiatives in their communities.
The Networks to Build Drought Resilience (NBDR) program will help people in agricultural communities to develop skills, participate in risk management planning, and foster projects that encourage connectedness and improve wellbeing. It will also support small-scale infrastructure projects to make community facilities drought resilient to increase overall wellbeing and reduce social isolation.
Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said that the Networks to Build Drought Resilience program will support future-focussed initiatives led by local community groups and network organisations that play such a vital role in local and regional resilience
“Networks and community leadership are the backbone of strong, vibrant communities and are essential to ensuring future preparedness for drought and the associated social, economic, environmental impacts that can be so devastating for remote, rural, and regional communities.
“This is an exciting opportunity for building drought resilience from the ground up and we look forward to supporting the fantastic ideas and solutions that we know are ready to go across the country,” Ms Egleton said.
Through the Drought Resilience Leaders (DRL) program rural leaders will be able to access training and support that will help them to develop and undertake a project to build drought resilience in their communities. Partnering with the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF) and the Rural Economies Centre of Excellence (RECoE), FRRR will manage a grants stream that will allow leadership program participants and their communities to activate their community-strengthening ideas.
Ms Egleton said that this program means more opportunities for local people to take the lead in finding meaningful and tailored solutions for their community’s increased climate resilience.
“Local leaders know how to get things done. They know how to bring people together, to motivate and to problem-solve. Backing these leaders is key to ensuring the long-term vitality of Australia’s remote, rural and regional communities, particularly those battling drought.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the ARLF and RECoE to provide these local leaders with access to such invaluable training and help them to bring their drought resilience projects to life,” Ms Egleton said.
For more information visit
The Hon David Littleproud MP – https://minister.awe.gov.au/littleproud/media-releases/drought-leaders-networks-programs
Australian Rural Leadership Foundation – https://rural-leaders.org.au/arlf-to-lead-consortia-to-deliver-drought-program/
When the opportunity arose to provide the locals in Longreach and surrounding areas with leadership development and networking opportunities, Red Ridge Interior jumped at it – particularly, if it could be done in a way that allowed people to participate regardless of their financial means. Three years on, and the program is more successful than ever.
Leadership development is much more than learning how to run a meeting and pitch an idea. It involves building skills in developing positive interpersonal relationships, managing change and conflict, giving and receiving feedback, values-based actions and being open, honest and trusted. These skills are important for everyone, and they allow more individuals to support each other, particularly when times are tough.
Thanks to a $14,500 grant from the Tackling Tough Times Together program, which was co-funded by Qantas Foundation and Friends of FRRR, Red Ridge Interior was able to ensure that everyone could access leadership development and training and build these important skills. This grant allowed Red Ridge Interior to hire a space, provide catering and pay for a leadership coach and facilitator to come to Longreach for three days to deliver the program. Twenty people participated in the program.
Participants spent three days covering a number of leadership theories and putting them into practice. Some of the topics they covered included Colour Spectrum model of leadership, values in action, understanding change, communication and deep listening, time management, goal setting and more.
Participants also had the opportunity to attend an ‘alumni’ day which brought together participants from the past three years of the program to meet, discuss what they had learnt and the real-world applications. This also gave them opportunities to connect with other leaders in their communities that were experiencing similar challenges and offered opportunities for mentorship.
Participants got a great deal out of the workshops. One said of the experience, “I have learnt about who I am as a leader, where my strengths are and where I need to work harder. I have learnt so much and have gained so much for myself, my family, my work and hopefully my community.”
Another said: “I learnt about my strengths and weaknesses and knowledge of each individual having their own strengths and weaknesses. Leadership is utilising everyone to achieve.”
