Sixteen community initiatives that will act on issues that matter to remote, rural and regional youth will share in $148,721 in grants, through the FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grants program.

Now in its 11^th year, the youth-focused program offers funds for communities to adopt, adapt and act on the ideas generated by young Australians at the ABC Heywire program’s annual Regional Youth Summit.

This year’s 39 young Summit participants developed six exciting ideas for change on issues that matter most to rural youth, with themes addressing boredom relief; easy access to mental health support; cost of food relief; education and diverse learning needs being catered for; ensuring youth voices are heard; and creating better futures for young people with disabilities.

The idea that received most applications was ‘Boredom Relief’, which resonated extensively with young people. One of the projects receiving funding to respond to Boredom Relief will be led by 2023 Heywirer Blake, who says there is a lack of opportunities for fun youth events in rural communities such as his.

“In small rural towns, it can feel like there is nothing for young people to do. We need to make sure that there are safe events and spaces for youth, or else they will look to drugs and alcohol for entertainment and excitement.

“Our project will see young people design and lead a one-day event of live music and activities. The drug and alcohol-free event will involve young and upcoming artists, and include art and cultural activities. I know it will help the young people in our community to build connections and give them practical experience in event management.

“I’m excited for it to get underway!” Blake said.

Deb Samuels, FRRR’s People Portfolio Lead, said that this program helps to put youth-led ideas at the forefront of rural communities and helps young people to feel heard.

“Young people are the future and often we find that grassroots organisations know how important it is to involve the youth and make them part of the community, but they simply lack the capacity to do so.

“Thanks to our donor partners, this program gives community groups the support and resources they need to overcome these barriers and focus their time and energy on initiatives that will make young people feel seen and empowered.

ABC Director, News, Justin Stevens, thanked FRRR for its support.

“Heywire amplifies young rural and regional voices across our ABC platforms and the Regional Youth Summit encourages their inspiring ideas for change and helps bring them to life,” he said.

“These young innovators are Australia’s future leaders and their ideas demonstrate their understanding of what their communities need.”

Examples of this year’s projects include:

• Zero Positive for Schools in Scone, NSW received $6,200 to develop the Idea 4 Change idea by preventing climate anxiety for youth with a summit featuring youth environmentalists and support for implementing school-based action plans.
  
• Nganmarriyanga School in Nganmarriyanga, NT, received $10,000 to develop the Boredom Relief idea by fostering youth agency and responsibility with the opportunity for youth to design their own Boredom Relief project.
  
• Breakaway Toowoomba in Toowoomba, QLD, received $10,000 to develop the We Are Not Alone idea by encouraging greater visibility of disability with a youth-led accessible community event to establish support networks.
  
• Tomorrow Movement in TAS (statewide), received $10,000 to develop the Hear Our Voices idea by preparing youth to become leaders of community-driven climate solutions with workshops to develop skills in facilitation and visioning sessions.
  
• Birchip Neighbourhood House Inc in Birchip, VIC, received $10,000 to develop the Boredom Relief idea by empowering youth with skills in event management through the delivery of a youth-led arts and culture event.
  
• Kununurra Community Garden Kitchen in Ringer Soak, WA, received $10,000 to develop the Homegrown Hub idea by growing cultural education on Indigenous plants and increasing access to food security with the installation of a community kitchen garden.

These grants are possible thanks to the generous support of The Sally Foundation, David Mactaggart Foundation, The John Villiers Trust, AMP Foundation, as well as several private donors.

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

In partnership with the Sally Foundation and the ABC, FRRR has awarded $33,350 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.

Through a Giving Sub-Fund, the Sally Foundation partners with FRRR to ensure that 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. To achieve this, FRRR leverages our networks across rural and regional communities, draws on our expertise and systems to administer grant rounds, and provides skill development through workshops and direct one-on-one support around project development, grant writing, and understanding eligibility criteria.

Geraldine Roche of the Sally Foundation said, “The overall aim is to boost the skills of these emerging leaders to take on future funding opportunities with confidence and experience behind them.”

This year, Trailblazers attended the annual ABC Heywire Regional Youth Summit, where they received leadership and communications training and presented their projects on ABC radio and at Parliament House. Trailblazers from the 2022 and 2023 cohorts were then invited to apply for grants, funded through the Sally Foundation’s Trailblazers Development Fund, to help them bring their project ideas to life, or to help take their existing projects to the next level.

Joanna Kemp, FRRR’s Philanthropic Services Manager, said that young people are an integral part of of the process.

“There were three Trailblazer alumni on the Advisory Panel for this round of funding, and two of them had previously received grants through this fund, so their input is invaluable. They were able to draw on their Trailblazer experience and bring a youth-focused perspective to the process. Not only that, but they can speak from the perspective of being young people who live in regional areas.

“I’m always inspired by their curiosity and thoughtfulness about each application. They include constructive feedback for the applicants to help them continue building their grant writing skills for future funding opportunities. Equally, their experience on the panel is a great opportunity for them to learn about the grant process from a funding perspective, which broadens their view of the whole cycle,” Ms Kemp said

In this round, we saw some recurring themes. It’s clear that young people are eager to grow awareness around disability, environment and social inclusion. They are also wanting more access STEM activities that are delivered in a fun and engaging way. Two of the grantees this year were also successful in the 2022 round and their new projects continue to build on their activities, this time in a collaboration that will see them visiting schools in remote and rural Queensland towns and bringing their hands on programs to raise awareness and exposure to STEM learning and aviation pathways.

Receiving a grant through the program can help to build confidence for these young people to continue their leadership journey and be a springboard to further funding opportunities. You can see the full list of grant recipients below.