Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR)
Grants awarded to 18 communities, including funding for farmers
FRRR’s In a Good Place (IAGP) program has awarded $286,992 to 18 not-for-profit organisations in remote, rural and regional communities for community-driven projects, services, activities or initiatives that help people at risk of, or currently experiencing, mental health challenges.
The grants, of up to $20,000, have been awarded by FRRR thanks to support from long-term partner CCI Giving, as well as Macdoch Foundation, Jibb Foundation, Morris Family Foundation, Norman Family Foundation and Rebecca Gorman & John Sevior, all of whom have come on board this year to support an expanded program.
For the last seven years, the focus has been on supporting mental wellbeing in rural communities. However, following the release of the NFF’s National Farmer Wellbeing Report, the six new partners have joined with FRRR to support a second stream of funding focusing specifically on mental health of farmers and farming communities.
Jeremy Yipp, Chair of CCI Giving, said social isolation is a big challenge in remote, rural and regional communities.
“Most applications this round focused on addressing current and emerging mental health issues that are a result of social isolation – an impact of the pandemic that’s still being felt in rural communities. Programs like IAGP mean that small grassroots organisations, community health providers and even local councils can access funding to create opportunities for social connection to support both personal and community resilience,” Mr Yipp said.
Michelle Gortan, CEO of Macdoch Foundation, one of the new IAGP partners, said that applications for the new stream of funding confirmed the importance of community-led initiatives to support mental health.
“The applications for the farmers and farming communities stream confirm that grassroots, non-clinical initiatives play an essential role in filling growing gaps in the system. We’ve been impressed by FRRR’s wide and deep reach into rural and regional communities, which has highlighted the need for investment in projects that promote preventative and responsive mental health approaches in farming and agriculture-dependent communities, all over Australia.”
Jill Karena, FRRR’s People Programs Portfolio Lead, said there are a range of factors in agriculture-dependent communities that affect wellbeing.
“The new farmers and farming communities stream of the IAGP program has given us the chance to offer more funding and support to projects that are filling the gaps in mental health services in farming communities. These places are often under a lot of pressure due to natural disasters, inflation and financial stress – all of which can lead to high levels of mental health struggles. We’re thrilled to have our new partners on board the IAGP program to help promote positive mental health outcomes in these communities,” Ms Karena said.
Ms Karena went on to highlight the importance of supporting initiatives in First Nations communities where mental health projects go hand in hand with culture.
“During this round, we also saw an increase in applications from First Nations organisations, many of which highlighted the vital nature of connection to culture and Country for social and emotional wellbeing of First Nations peoples. It means a lot for us be able to support these initiatives, as we strive to play our part to help close the gap in access for these communities,” Ms Karena said.
A list of the grant recipients and their projects, which include some innovative ways to promote current mental health services to vulnerable cohorts that wouldn’t normally seek assistance – such as working dog training, art, or environmental projects – is available below.
To support more projects like this through FRRR, make a tax-deductible donation at https://frrr.org.au/giving/.
| Organisation | Project | Location | Grant | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In a Good Place - Round 8 - 2024 | ||||||
| NEW SOUTH WALES | ||||||
| Baaka Cultural Centre Wilcannia Aboriginal Corporation | Baaka Cultural Centre Yarning Circle Project Provide a co-designed culturally appropriate outdoor space for yarning circles and discussions to facilitate cultural knowledge exchange, enhance a sense of belonging and identity and support social and emotional wellbeing for local Aboriginal people. | Wilcannia | $16,500 | |||
| Murrumbidgee Landcare Incorporated | Connecting Young People With Nature Help cultivate a deep sense of social and emotional wellbeing and connection to Country through a series of outdoor learning opportunities for students in need of additional support. | Wagga Wagga | $20,000 | |||
| One Vision Productions Limited | MPOWER PRO - Empowering Our Youth Expand an existing online Mental Health Tool Kit for youth through the rollout of the MPOWER App, and offer access to extended resource content to at-risk young people to help develop awareness skills, mental health knowledge, self-care, emotional regulation, resilience, and healthy relationships. | Byron Bay | $8,700 | |||
| The Returning Indigenous Corporation | Indigenous Health & Wellbeing Community Days Provide care and cultural connection for flood-impacted Indigenous women through regular, trauma informed shared activities, yarning circles and meals to support social and emotional health and wellbeing. | Lismore | $20,000 | |||
| QUEENSLAND | ||||||
| Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation Inc | The Saleyard and Beyond: Fostering Wellbeing in Rural Farming Communities Leverage the social value of saleyards to promote mental health and wellbeing and local services through direct engagement with farmers at cattle sales. | Murgon | $18,500 | |||
| Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (Queensland Section) Limited | Building Mental Health and Wellbeing in Communities Reduce social isolation, develop farmer support networks and increase awareness and access to mental health services using working dog training sessions to demonstrate the practical application of mental and emotional regulation skills. | Winton | $15,042 | |||
| Texas and District Drought Support (TADDS) | Be the Ripple in the Wave Improve resilience, social connection and information sharing by providing community sessions with positive mental health speakers, combined with a shared community meal, across 10 different locations. | Texas | $20,000 | |||
| Toowoomba Hospital Foundation | Calm the Farm Increase resilience and develop supportive networks through targeted workshops that improve the mental health and wellbeing of farmers. | Millmerran | $17,369 | |||
| SOUTH AUSTRALIA | ||||||
| The Food Embassy Incorporated | Healthy Minds, Healthy Farmers, Healthy Landscapes Enhance mental health literacy among farmers in the Southern Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu region of South Australia through a series of free events, codesigned workshops and mental health first aid training. | Mount Compass | $19,980 | |||
| The Pinnaroo Project Association Incorporated | Pinnaroo Connections Cultivate meaningful social connections to reduce social isolation by providing targeted activities featuring guest speakers to deliver positive mental health messages. | Pinnaroo | $20,000 | |||
| TASMANIA | ||||||
| Big Hart Inc | Watershed Half Pipe: Community Activations Harness an activity that requires resilience and is culturally appealing to young people to help reduce stigma, promote help-seeking behaviours, increase sense of belonging, and improve community capacity in mental health crisis response. | Wynyard | $19,835 | |||
| VICTORIA | ||||||
| Corangamite Shire Council | Illuminate U: Youth Creative Arts Program Harness the mental health benefits of creativity and self-reflective activities by using art therapy to support young people showing early signs of mental health issues and help them to develop skills in resilience and emotional flexibility. | Camperdown | $12,697 | |||
| East Wimmera Health Service | Supporting Farmer Mental Wellbeing in St Arnaud Raise awareness, encourage open discussion and promote help seeking in farming communities via a public screening of Just A Farmer, with post-screening community discussion, and providing Mental Health First Aid training. | St Arnaud | $10,250 | |||
| Gunditjmara Aboriginal Co-Operative Limited | Wata Takoort Cultural Camp 2024 Create a culturally enriched and safe environment for Elders, Indigenous community members with disabilities, and their carers to experience greater social and emotional connection to Country and with each other through travel and cultural visitation. | Warrnambool | $10,000 | |||
| Mallee Landcare Group | Mallee Mates Working Dog School Foster support networks and social connection for farmers through working dog training that teach practical mental and emotional regulation and wellbeing skills. | Ouyen | $15,922 | |||
| Rochester Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc | Amplifying Mental Health Voices: Empowering Community Through Podcasting Raise awareness and normalise mental health discussion and help-seeking in a flood-affected community by providing equipment to create a series of podcasts that showcase resilience and promote local resources, services and community activities. | Rochester | $4,500 | |||
| Swifts Creek Bush Nursing Centre Inc | Back On Track Support farmer wellbeing, reduce social isolation and improve access to local health services by enabling community health outreach to visit isolated properties and small towns to provide health and welfare checks and referrals. | Swifts Creek | $20,000 | |||
| WESTERN AUSTRALIA | ||||||
| 1922 & You Inc | A Centenary Stronger: Nuturing a Mentally Healthy Community Increase the capacity and skill of local leaders to provide a variety of activities that promote social connections and enhance personal and community resilience through the provision of equipment, materials and training. | Corrigin | $17,697 | |||
New partners join FRRR’s In a Good Place program
More funding is now on offer to support mental health projects in remote, rural and regional communities, thanks to new supporters of FRRR’s In a Good Place grants program, with grants of up to $20,000 are now available.
First established in 2018 with the support of CCI Giving, the program’s focus has been on supporting community-driven initiatives that reduce social isolation, increase social participation and connectedness, and increase help-seeking for people within rural, regional and remote communities who are at risk of, or are experiencing, mental health issues.
Now the IAGP program is expanding, adding a stream focussed on farmers and farming communities, following the recent National Farmer Wellbeing Report, which was presented at a recent mental health and wellbeing forum, hosted by National Farmers Federation (NFF).
The Report revealed that in recent years, 45% of Australian farmers have felt depressed, with 64% experiencing anxiety. The causes of this are many-fold, but top among them were weather or natural disasters (47%), financial stress (36%) and inflation and cost pressures (35%). Add to this that 76% of Australian farmers believe that the role they play is undervalued by the Australian public and it’s not hard to understand why farmers and farming communities are experiencing declining mental health.
The Report called for additional funding and support, which prompted six new partners to join FRRR’s IAGP program, alongside CCI Giving – Macdoch Foundation, Jibb Foundation, Morris Family Foundation, Norman Family Foundation and Rebecca Gorman & John Sevior.
These funders have committed to the program for three years, ensuring dedicated funding for farmers and farming communities from 2024-2026. In total, $1,063,000 has been committed over the next three years.
FRRR’s CEO, Natalie Egleton, said that the insights shared by farmers and farmer advocates, reaffirm the relevance of the In a Good Place program, and the role it can play in supporting the wellbeing of farming communities.
“These firsthand experiences and insights, highlight the need for investment in projects that promote preventative and responsive mental health approaches in farming and agriculture-dependent communities.
“Critically, the additional funding will help to address gaps in services by upskilling people locally and bringing in experts, so that locals in farming communities can better support one another.
“Thanks to the generous support of our new partners and CCI Giving, we can build on from the valuable impact that the IAGP program has had on rural Australia over the last six years, by ensuring farming communities can access more funding to develop the community-led, place-based solutions that make sense, locally,” Ms Egleton said.
Jeremy Yipp, Chair of CCI Giving, is also pleased to see the expansion of the program.
“The events of recent years have added complexity to the challenges that remote, rural and regional communities face. But we’ve seen first-hand that by supporting projects that remove barriers to people getting appropriate support, we can make a lasting difference. So it’s wonderful to have more organisations coming on board, enabling FRRR to support even more non-clinical approaches that are community-based and accessible at a grassroots level. It will mean that even more communities can access support,” Mr Yipp said.
Michelle Gortan, CEO of Macdoch Foundation, one of the new partners, said that due to increasingly variable weather conditions, financial and market pressures, and the need to navigate industry and land use transitions, there is a need to ensure farming communities are feeling well-supported.
“Maintaining good mental health and community wellbeing is multi-faceted and a lifelong process that requires a range of different approaches. We recognise that local communities know what will work in their particular context, and as a collective of funders, we are delighted to be partnering with FRRR so that that agricultural communities can design and implement community-led solutions that are fit for purpose.
“FRRR’s special tax status means that as partners, we can respond practically to the issues raised in the National Farmer Wellbeing Report and ensure funding reaches grassroots communities to support improved community wellbeing and mental health, which ultimately helps to create a stronger Australia,” Ms Gortan said.
The expanded program supports a range of approaches that are preventative or responsive in nature, reduce social isolation by increasing social participation and connectedness, and reduce stigma surrounding mental health by encouraging open discussion and supporting self-help-seeking. Communities of less 10,000 will receive priority.
Grants of up to $20,000 are available from a funding pool of at least $290,000. Grants are available via two streams:
- Community wellbeing – focussing on mental health and wellbeing within remote, rural and regional communities;
- Farmers and farming communities – supporting mental health and wellbeing of farmers and the communities they live in.
Applications are via an expression of interest process, with EOIs due 30 April, with final applications for those shortlisted due 15 May. Learn more at: https://frrr.org.au/funding/place/in-a-good-place/.
FRRR would also welcome more partners for this program. Potential supporters should contact partnerships@frrr.org.au or call 03 5430 2399.
