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.

In partnership with The Yulgilbar Foundation, FRRR has awarded $785,794 in grants to 23 local groups for community projects designed to strengthen community capacity and resilience in the Clarence Valley and surrounding region.

These grants, which are funded through The Yulgilbar Foundation Fund program, are the final tranche of a $2 million commitment awarded over the last three years.

In the wake of the 2019/20 bushfires and subsequent disasters including floods and COVID, these grants will support local groups to foster community connection, education and wellbeing across the region.

Ten of the 23 grants will support local events and festivals. This includes the Grafton Jacaranda Festival for a concert for 5,000 people Featuring Troy Cassar-Daley and Don Walker.

Also set to perform on stage at the Grafton Jacaranda Festival is the Big Scrub Orchestra, which has also been awarded funds. The Orchestra’s grant will support music workshops to boost resilience, health and wellbeing of local children in five small rural public schools and support their performance in the Jacaranda Festival.

Sarah Matthee, FRRR’s General Manager of Partnerships and Services, said that the projects funded demonstrate the important role that social connectedness plays in disaster recovery.

“While each place has its own unique set of recovery needs, in this round of grants we saw many community groups seeking funding for projects designed to bring people together to strengthen social connections, which is such an important part of the recovery process. This also gives us valuable insight into where communities are in their recovery journey.”

Madeleine Noble, Executive Officer of The Yulgilbar Foundation said the Foundation is proud to support a variety of projects across the region, many of which will boost the capacity of local groups to contribute to recovery activities.

“For example, funding for Container of Dreams based near Tabulam will help women develop micro-enterprise skills, Woombah Residents Association will expand activities at the community garden focusing on disaster preparedness, and Lawrence Community Fundraising will run a series of creative workshops and events celebrating local residents and their skills”.

More information is available on FRRR’s website – https://frrr.org.au/funding/the-yulgilbar-foundation-fund/.

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

More than $1.7M awarded thanks to Future Drought Fund

FRRR and ARLF are pleased to announce the first organisations to receive funding through the Future Drought Fund’s Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative.

The Initiative, which is being delivered by FRRR in partnership with ARLF, seeks to help agriculture-dependent communities in regions across remote, rural, and regional Australia that are vulnerable to the impacts of drought become more prepared for and resilient to these impacts.

Over the last three months, FRRR and ARLF have worked closely with a local community partner lead organisation in five areas to identify projects that local groups across each region can implement to enhance preparedness for drought.

This first tranche of funding through the Community Impact Program sees five regions awarded $1.7M, which is being shared across 15 organisations.

In the coming months, the local community partner lead organisation will collaborate with other grantee organisations in the region to deliver projects that include events, training and workshops that will create opportunities for communities to identify and adopt innovative and transformative ways to build drought resilience, develop a change in awareness of and attitudes to drought preparedness at the community level, learn and share innovative ways to build drought resilience.

FRRR’s Disaster Resilience and Recovery Lead, Nina O’Brien, says that this is a really exciting milestone and a wonderful opportunity for these communities to drive local action that helps prepare for drought.

“People are more resilient when they’re part of a strong community. Through this place-based program, with the Australian Government’s support, we’re investing in the future, enabling agriculture dependent communities to identify and act on their drought preparedness priorities at a grassroots level.

“The overall aim of this program is to facilitate increased social connection, strengthen network opportunities, build leadership skills, and link capacity building opportunities to ensure widespread local benefit, so that communities are better prepared for the future.

“The program was deliberately designed to be flexible, allowing a bespoke approach in each region that reflects the unique conditions in each area. The projects that we’re funding have broad community support. As part of their development, we paid for a facilitator to support the local lead organisation to help bring key stakeholders into the conversation and to make sure that the projects align with local priorities and connect with investments already happening at the community level.

“We look forward to continuing to walk alongside these local groups as they implement their projects over the next two years,” Ms O’Brien said.

Each of the regions being funded will also receive access to tailored ARLF leadership development activities. Lead organisations can choose between one of five leadership development activities, depending on their projects and local priorities. In the first five regions, four different activities have been taken up.

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

“In addition to the project funding, these leadership development activities are a crucial investment in building the social capital required to support the project and each region. Connecting local networks, creating a deeper sense of shared purpose and developing capability all contributes to people in each region taking action to address challenges and take advantage of opportunities.

“Participants will also gain access to the wider alumni network of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation. It’s these connections that prove invaluable to people. When they’re stuck, there’s someone to ask for advice.”

In total, 35 regions will be supported through this program. The remaining regions are due to be announced throughout the rest of 2023.

Other elements of the Future Drought Fund’s Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative are also underway, including the Mentoring program, being led by ARLF, which is still accepting applications. 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, the first of two rounds of Small Grants for areas that aren’t covered by these Community Impact Program grants is expected to open in later this year.

Learn more about the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative at www.frrr.org.au/drought-preparedness.

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

Grants of up to $10,000 available nationwide

Grants of up to $10,000 are now available to fund community-led projects, developed by young people, to respond to the six issues identified at this year’s ABC Heywire Youth Summit, including mental health, accessibility, youth voices, addressing costs of living and creating safe spaces – all issues that concern youth.

The FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grants program has supported remote, rural, and regional youth since 2013, providing them with the opportunity to not only identify the issues that matter most to them but also take action to combat them.

This year, there is $115,000 in grants available nationally and an additional $35,000 specifically to fund projects in Queensland, thanks to a new partnership with The John Villiers Trust.

The six ideas respond to common issues of concern identified by the 39 regional youth who attended the ABC Heywire Youth Summit, a youth leadership and skills development event held last month in Canberra.

FRRR and its partners will fund grants that enable activation of these ideas across rural Australia, enabling community organisations and not-for-profits that work with young people to either implement these ideas or to develop their own projects to address the issues raised, which include:

• Boredom Relief: How might we create safe spaces for youth?
• Easy Access: How might we empower regional youth to take charge of their mental health and support their mates?
• Homegrown Hub: How might we create cost of food relief in communities across Australia?
• Idea 4 Change: How might we provide resources to ensure young people are supported and engaged in their education, with their diverse learning needs catered for?
• Hear Our Voices: How might we ensure that all youth voices are heard and represented on issues that matter to them?
• We are not Alone: How might we create a better future for all young people living with a disability to feel understood and supported in regional Australia?

More details about each of these ideas can be found on the ABC Heywire website.

Kadee from Barcaldine, Queensland, Iningai Country, is a 2023 Heywire Winner and was part of the group that developed the Idea 4 Change project. Kadee said it was inspiring knowing their idea would become a reality in rural Australia.

“I’ve already had educators of my school asking heaps of questions and having me go into depth about our idea. I’m feeling intrigued to see how everyone’s ideas evolve over time and how they impact our country.”

Deb Samuels, FRRR’s People Portfolio Lead, said that to truly create impact for young people, they need to be at the table in making decisions and the Youth Innovation Grants program facilitates this.

“From idea development, through to assessing grant applications that are recommended to the FRRR Board for funding, the Youth Innovation Grants program is led by rural youth, at all stages of the program. This process ensures that funding is allocated to create impact where it matters most for young people in remote, rural and regional Australia.

“Our long-term partnership with ABC has been instrumental to the success of this program. The ABC Heywire Summit is such a powerful platform for young Australians to share their voices and ideas to policy makers, and across the nation. To be able to invest in these ideas with funding that allows communities to act on these ideas is such a phenomenal opportunity.

“We encourage rural community groups to connect with local young people, consider the six issues and work together to develop a project and application that addresses one of the issues, in a local context. Our Youth Assessment Panel and I look forward to exploring all the innovative ideas developed,” said Ms Samuels.

This is the 11^th year of the partnership between FRRR and the ABC to run the Heywire Youth Innovation Grants.

“We’re proud to once again partner with FRRR to invest in youth ideas across remote, rural and regional Australia,” said Warwick Tiernan, ABC Director, Regional and Local.

“We know that young people are keenly aware of the issues that affect them and given the chance, they have the skills to develop solutions to them. Being able to back these ideas with grants to make them come to reality shows young people we are doing more than just listening, we are acting on them.

“We’re excited to see what pioneering projects come to life this year and share these stories through the ABC network.”

To date, more than $1.4 million in community and philanthropic investment has helped to fund more than 174 projects in more than 130 communities. This round of FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grants program is possible thanks to the generous support of FRRR’s donor partners, including The Sally Foundation, AMP Foundation, The John Villiers Trust, David Mactaggart Foundation and private donors.

Applications close Wednesday 7 June, and recipients will be announced in September. More information is available on the Youth Innovation Grants page.

Image is of ABC Heywire presentation event in the theatre at the Australian Parliament House, Canberra, by Bradley Cummings.

Grants up to $20,000 on offer

Remote, rural and regional communities across Australia can apply now for grants up to $20,000 for community-driven mental health and wellbeing projects, through FRRR’s In a Good Place (IAGP) program.

Community groups are invited to apply for up to $20,000 to support activities that empower locals to talk, connect, learn, participate and foster help-seeking behaviours.

FRRR and CCI Giving are offering $250,000 in IAGP grants, a boost of $50,000 on prior grant rounds, thanks to a new five-year partnership.

Jeremy Yipp, CCI General Manager, General Insurance Claims and Chair of CCI Giving, said that since partnering with FRRR in 2018, CCI Giving has seen the direct impact made to 53 mental health-focused projects funded across remote, rural and regional Australia. 

“Seed funding is critical for the smaller community projects so that they can develop a proof of concept for their activity model and see what works and what doesn’t, and why. Without assistance from grant programs, such as In a Good Place, these projects may never have the opportunity to really get off the ground and reach their full potential,” Mr Yipp explained.

Jill Karena, FRRR’s People Programs Portfolio Lead, said that, now in its sixth year, the In A Good Place program continues to provide vital funding to support the mental health and wellbeing of communities across remote, rural and regional Australia.

“Projects funded through the In a Good Place program typically bring people together, sometimes to heal, always to learn.

“The program has a definite and important role to play in supporting rural communities in reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and help-seeking behaviours. It helps to bring mental health and wellbeing out in the open – making it OK to talk about and OK to reach out and ask for help,” Ms Karena said.

Applications opened on 12 April 2023. There is a two-stage application process. To get started, a brief Expression of Interest must be submitted no later than 5pm AEST, Wednesday 17 May 2023. Full details are available on FRRR’s website – https://frrr.org.au/in-a-good-place/. Applicants can also call 1800 170 020.

FRRR today welcomed a new $600,000 partnership with Telstra, which will see a new grant program launch in March 2023.

Telstra’s Connected Communities Grant Program will boost support for NFPs and communities across remote, rural and regional Australia to improve resilience, environmental sustainability and liveability through the power of connection.

The program will offer grants up to $10,000 for not-for-profit community organisations that are providing access to information, technology, education and facilities to support their communities to embrace new technologies and ways of working to build social capital and digital capability.

FRRR’s Acting CEO, Sarah Matthee, said that this is a wonderful new partnership that will help address one of the biggest gaps identified in FRRR’s Heartbeat of Rural Australia study in 2021.

“The Heartbeat study really highlighted a significant digital divide for remote, rural and regional not-for-profit organisations, particularly when it comes to capacity to access digital resources and the opportunity to improve knowledge and skills to harness technology to maintain and create connections. But we also know that connections are so important in building resilient communities, as well as sustainable communities. So this contribution from Telstra is very welcome, as it will help to address some of those challenges and harness many of the opportunities in country Australia. We very much look forward to launching the program next month,” Ms Matthee said.

Read Telstra’s full announcement or learn more on Telstra’s Connected Communities Grant Program page.

FRRR today welcomed a contribution of $150,000 from the Newcrest Sustainability Fund, which will go toward flood-recovery in communities affected by the ongoing flood emergency across the Central West of NSW.

FRRR’s General Manager Partnerships and Services, Sarah Matthee, said that it is great to see corporations who have operations across remote, rural and regional Australia providing significant and tangible support to flood-affected communities.

“Organisations like Newcrest are an important part of the economic and social infrastructure in many remote, rural and regional communities. Their staff live and work in these regions, they understand the challenges that are faced and the support that will be needed. It’s wonderful to have them contributing to our flood recovery appeal.

“This is both a swift, and a slow moving disaster, but it is one that is having an enormous impact across many communities. Recovery will take a long time and each community’s needs will evolve over time. These funds, which will be distributed through FRRR’s Prepare and Recover stream of our Strengthening Rural Communities program, means that funding will be there to support local community groups and NFPs when the time is right,” Ms Matthee said.

Read more about what else Newcrest is doing to support flood-affected communities.

We would greatly appreciate any additional donations to our flood appeal.

53 priority projects receive grants through Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants programs

Fifty-three important community projects across the length and breadth of remote, rural and regional Australia will share $250,000 in funding, thanks to the Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program.

This is the second year of the Nutrien Ag Solutions Community Grants Program, which offers grants of up to $5,000 for projects that contribute to community wellbeing and vibrancy in remote, rural and regional communities.

Nutrien Ag Solutions Director of Corporate Affairs Carissa Buckland says they received more than 300 applications from communities right across the country.

“The strong number of applications we continue to receive for this program clearly indicates the need for this level of support for grassroots, not-for-profit organisations. So, we’re delighted to award grants to so many diverse projects that help these remote, rural and regional communities thrive,” says Ms Buckland.

“Part of the application process involves the local Nutrien store actively endorsing each project and application. Our stores are very integrated in their communities and our teams are passionate about providing meaningful support to positively impact the towns in which they live and work in, so this is a really important part of the process.

“This year we have approved grants to enhance and support the delivery of community events, including new marquees, grandstand seating and improved website functionality to support local show and expo event management. Critical funding will also go towards a diverse range of restorations, upgrades and new equipment for community facilities – from a toilet roof to rejuvenated courtyards to outdoor seating and kitchens, data projectors and lawn mowers. There’s even funding for sensory, Zen, bush tucker and community gardens, with each project designed to inclusively meet the needs of their communities. While they are not large value grants, these projects enable community activity to build connection and, importantly, support volunteers in all their efforts,” says Ms Buckland.

The Program is proudly run in partnership with the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR).

FRRR CEO, Natalie Egleton says she appreciates organisations like Nutrien Ag Solutions partnering with FRRR to support the priorities of grassroots organisations that are the heartbeat of remote, rural and regional communities across Australia.

“The volume and nature of these applications is a strong sign that rural community life is returning to normal, although it also signifies just how challenging it is to raise these funds locally and the extent of the need that exists.

“It’s really pleasing for us that so much of the funding – nearly 30% – will go to communities with fewer than 500 people, which makes fundraising really hard. Most of the groups are also located in outer regional, remote or very remote areas of the country,” Ms Egleton explains.

The full list of recipients is available below. Some of the organisations and projects being supported include:

• Illabo Showground Land Manager, Illabo, NSW – Build capacity at the local show grounds with a WIFI upgrade, defibrillator installation and new broadcast system to enhance operations and experience for all users. $5,000
• Dagun Community Group Inc., Dagun, QLD – Enhance community connections with the restoration of the Dagun railway station labyrinth and Mary Valley agricultural history display, and through the community garden project. $4,900
• Limestone Coast Multicultural Network Incorporated, Naracoorte, SA – Build organisational capability with development of a strategic plan to support strengthening the Limestone Coast Multicultural Network. $4,952
• Hamilton District Agricultural Show Society, Hamilton, TAS – Build, grow and protect skills and networks with four workshops focusing on entrepreneurism, rural OH&S and resilience.$5,000
• Kyabram Blue Light, Kyabram, VIC – Increase social engagement opportunities and activities for youth in Kyabram to support their healthy growth and development. $5,000
• Lower Kalgan Community Association Incorporated, Albany, WA – Build resilience through a Fire Resilience Workshop – “Making your Property Fire Safe and Sustainable” exploring preparedness and land management aligned to changing climate impacts. $5,000

The third round of the Program is expected to open around June 2023. Community groups looking for funding in the interim should head to www.frrr.org.au/find-funding.

The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) today announced the appointment of Georgie Somerset AM to the FRRR Board.

FRRR Chairman, Tim Fairfax AC, said that having someone with Georgie Somerset’s depth and breadth of experience will be a key asset and only serve to strengthen the board.

“Georgie brings a number of different perspectives to the board – as a primary producer, active community member, respected industry leader and experienced board director. With decades of experience managing the challenges associated with living in remote and regional communities, Georgie will bring a fantastic drive and strength to the FRRR board.

“In the last five years, FRRR has more than doubled our granting, and with the challenges and opportunities continuing to face remote, rural and regional communities only increasing, we will benefit from her input as we shape the future for the organisation,” Mr Fairfax said.

On accepting the invitation to join the board, Georgie said, “I have enormous respect for the approach FRRR takes to strengthening regional Australia through targeted and effective support. Being invited to join the board is an opportunity to contribute to the Foundation’s future growth and impact.

“FRRR shines a light on communities doing great work, seed funding and magnifying resourceful solutions and ideas. This positive approach is needed more than ever as communities across Australia grapple with complex challenges such as post COVID migration patterns and demands on services.

“The ability to invest in our future leaders and take a locally driven, solutions-based approach enables FRRR to continue being impactful, and I’m delighted to now be able to help steer the organisation.”

Based in the South Burnett region of rural Queensland, Georgie is actively involved in the operation of the multi-generational family beef business on her family’s cattle property.

As an industry leader, Georgie was a founder, and later president, of the Queensland Rural Regional and Remote Women’s Network (QRRRWN) and held roles with the National Foundation for Australian Women, as well as being a founding member and Chair of the Red Earth Community Foundation.

Currently Georgie is the president of AgForce Queensland, Deputy chair of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland section), Director of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the National Farmers Federation and the RFDS Foundation. Georgie also serves on a number of advisory committees for regional development, tertiary institutions, industry and community groups and a number of government review panels.

In addition to Tim Fairfax AC and Georgie Somerset AM, the other members of FRRR’s board include:

• Anne Grindrod, Deputy Chair
• Paddy Handbury
• Patrick Myer
• Annabel White
• Bruce Scott OAM
• Sue Middleton
• Andrew McKenzie JP
• Hon. Simon Crean
• Hon. John Sharp AM
• James Flintoft

Twenty-seven community-led groups in remote, rural and regional NSW will share in $912,505 awarded through the Resilience NSW COVID Regional Community Support (CRCS) program.

Funded by the NSW Government and administered by the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR), the grants were allocated to grassroots community groups and not-for-profit organisations that helped their communities navigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

NSW Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said the funding stream would help these groups build resilience and better mitigate the impact of pandemics and other disasters across their communities.

“We awarded between $3,363 and $50,000 to organisations, to support a wide range of regional capacity building initiatives to help enhance community wellbeing, create stronger local economies, and enable a greater ability to respond to future challenges,” Ms Cooke said.

“The pandemic has posed plenty of difficulties for people and families in remote and regional areas over the past two years, and community-led organisations played an important role in navigating those challenges.”

Ms Cooke said some of the common requests from community groups involved facility improvements, food security and assisting with the increased demand on local services in flood-devastated areas such as the Northern Rivers.

“We’ve been able to address some of these needs through this funding stream, to ensure these groups and the communities they work with are in better stead for the future.”

Some of the 27 funded projects include:

• Agape Outreach Inc in Tweed Heads to improve staff and volunteer resilience and increase capacity to support the community through mental health and wellbeing training – $36,600.
• Forster Neighbourhood Centre Inc in Forster to promote organisational capacity and support local access to essential services by contributing to the fit-out of the new Forster Neighbourhood Centre – $50,000.
• Gunnedah Meals on Wheels Association in Gunnedah to improve the capacity of Gunnedah Meals on Wheels to support vulnerable community members through a hamper program and the purchase of a large deep freezer – $8,150.
• LeaderLife Ltd in Dubbo to grow organisational resilience and support skills development in local youth through a new syntropic farming system – $50,000.
• Sustainable Agriculture and Gardening Eurobodalla in Moruya to increase organisational capacity and promote food security in the Eurobodalla Shire through the hiring of a Business Manager – $50,000.

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said the grants acknowledge and will strengthen the capacity of regional organisations in NSW who played such a critical role in supporting communities throughout COVID-19 challenges. 

“The impact of the pandemic has been significant and is still being felt,” Ms Egleton said. “The flexibility of this program recognised that every community is different and requires tailored support and funding to ensure that they can continue to provide vital services, bring people and community organisations together and enable locally-led responses as and when required.

“Being able to support the many community organisations and not-for-profits who have gone above and beyond for their communities during such difficult times and enable them to be better prepared in the future is important to the ongoing sustainability and vibrancy of these communities.”

A complete list of the projects supported is below.