Includes more than $600,000 for Black Summer bushfire recovery

Ninety locally-led initiatives that are set to strengthen remote, rural and regional communities across Australia are sharing in $1,057,044 in funding, thanks to FRRR’s Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) grant program.

The SRC program supports a broad array of projects that address locally determined needs and priorities of smaller remote, rural, and regional communities, including places impacted by the 2019-20 bushfires.

For communities affected by the Black Summer bushfires, 34 community-led projects are sharing $602,958 in grants through SRC’s Bushfire Recovery stream of funding. These grants range from $2,618 for a communications upgrade for the Rocky Glen community in New South Wales, to $25,000 for a project that will improve the safety and security of the community hall at Tamrookum in Queensland.

A further $454,086 in grants have been awarded through SRC’s Small & Vital funding stream to 56 projects that local communities have prioritised for their long-term viability and vitality. Funding ranges from $550 for an equipment safety upgrade for the Riding for the Disabled WA group at Mount Barker in Western Australia, through to $10,000 for a grief support program for young people in Drysdale, Victoria.

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said FRRR is seeing a wide range of requests from across the country, reflecting the diverse needs in each place.

“Rural communities continue to inspire and move forward despite the numerous difficulties they’ve faced and the uncertainty ahead. They want something to hope for, to build towards, and we continue to be here to support and celebrate their achievements and are ready to walk with them through any challenges they may be dealing with, or to harness any opportunities they have in front of them.

“With COVID-19 restrictions still being unpredictable, we want groups to know that if you have received a grant from us and, for whatever reason, you have had to delay, postpone or cancel your project, please reach out to our team. We want to work with you to adapt or redefine your project so that the funding stays in your community,” Ms Egleton explained.

With the 2021-22 bushfire season approaching, disaster preparedness is key, especially for those communities devastated by the 2019-20 bushfires.

“Being better prepared means different things for different places. For some, this means improving access to community meeting places, for others it’s ensuring they have the proper equipment and training so that volunteers can protect and support their community through a disaster event. But for some places, preparedness means completely rebuilding community infrastructure that was lost due to the bushfires,” Ms Egleton said.

“We are pleased to be able to provide this support to the communities that have been affected by the fires. And we’ll continue to support them as time goes on and their needs evolve and change.”

Some of the 90 projects awarded include:

• Lions Club of Ulladulla Milton, NSW – FAB (Farmers at Burrill) – $14,896 – Boost local spending with improved marketing and entertainment at the farmers markets.   
• Engawala Arts Centre Aboriginal Corporation, NT – Developing the Engawala Arts Centre – $8,595 – Facilitate the set up and development of an Arts Centre that will build tourism-based income in a very remote community.
• The Little Pocket Association, QLD – Resilience through Nature Play – $25,000 – Support children and young families to build resilience and disaster preparedness through nature play, storytelling and strengthening connection to place.
• Tatiara District Council, SA – Tatiara Multicultural Food Festival – $9,900 – Encourage whole community engagement and build cultural awareness through the delivery of a food festival.
• Swansea Primary School Parents and Friends Association, TAS – Nature Play for Rural Families – $10,000 – Strengthen community connection to the natural environment and enhance educational activities for school children through the development of a Nature Play Garden area.
• Lakes Entrance Mechanics Institute Management Committee Inc, VIC – Replacement of Furniture as part of Maintaining and Redeveloping the Lakes Entrance Mechanics Institute Hall – $17,249 – Provide a fit-for-purpose facility and help volunteers to support their community through the purchase of stackable chairs.
• Active Farmers Ltd, WA – Active Farmers Games WA – Increasing Awareness of the Link Between Physical Activity and Improved Mental Wellbeing – $6,340 – Encourage rural communities to be physically active and more connected with inaugural WA Active Farmers Games.

The SRC program is collaboratively supported by a number of generous donors, which are listed on FRRR’s website.

The next round of SRC applications is currently being assessed and will be announced in December. The current round is accepting applications until 23 November 2021, with funds to be awarded in March 2022.

More information is available on FRRR’s website – https://frrr.org.au/ strengthening-rural-communities/.

To support grants like this through FRRR, make a tax-deductible donation at frrr.org.au/giving/.

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

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Funding awarded for 112 locally-led projects

FRRR has awarded $1,589,612 in grants for 112 projects that will help build the resilience and long-term vitality of smaller remote, rural and regional communities across Australia, through its Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) program.

The SRC program is collaboratively funded, and its broad scope enables smaller remote, rural, and regional communities to receive funding for a wide range of initiatives that are led by local people and address local needs. The awarded grants will give these rural places a boost to achieve long-term viability and vitality.

This round of SRC includes funding across three streams – Small & Vital, Larger Leverage and Bushfire Recovery grants. Grants range from $323 for first aid and snake bite kits for the Harts Range Amateur Race Club in remote Northern Territory, through to a $25,000 grant to support healing and the preservation of culture by providing the opportunity for Kullilli people to travel to Thargomindah in Queensland and be on Kullilli country to celebrate NAIDOC Week.

For regions continuing to recover and renew following the 2019/2020 bushfires, grants range from $2,500 to encourage locals to participate in recovery activities at the Maclean Spring Festival in New South Wales, through to $25,000 for the installation of local fauna sculptures that will increase connection to place and enhance public spaces in Marlow, Victoria.

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said this round of SRC has seen rural communities across Australia seek funding for inspiring initiatives that build community resilience and support individual and community health and wellbeing at a local level.

“Many communities have been impacted by multiple disasters, including the recent flooding in NSW and parts of QLD. For these regions, economic recovery from the disasters has been severely challenged by COVID-19. For community organisations, the pandemic has hampered fundraising efforts and their capacity to provide services. Understandably, local volunteers are pretty worn out. In response, we have awarded a number of grants for projects that will relieve volunteer-fatigue and alleviate the pressures that many volunteer-led groups are dealing with.

“Rural communities gain strength and vitality when locals have places to gather and connect, so it’s not surprising that we continue to see strong demand for projects that build community resilience by investing in local community assets and infrastructure, particularly the maintenance of community halls. And, as gathering restrictions ease, we are seeing more requests for work on outdoor spaces and for community events, as people come together to strengthen community engagement and participation,” Ms Egleton said.

The Small & Vital grants stream provides funding of up to $10,000 for local initiatives that enhance the wellbeing, strength and resilience of rural communities. This round of SRC has seen 52 projects in places across all States and Territories sharing in a total of $356,342 in Small & Vital grants.

Larger Leverage grants provide funding of up to $25,000, generally for remote or very remote parts of Australia. The larger grants are intended to help overcome logistical barriers that can limit the opportunity for multifaceted projects in these regions. A total of $595,362 has been awarded to 27 projects through the Larger Leverage stream.

This round the Bushfire Recovery stream awarded a total of $637,908 in grants to 33 initiatives designed to help seed and strengthen the recovery of communities impacted by the 2019/2020 summer bushfires. Further information on these Bushfire Recovery projects is available here.

Some of the 79 Small & Vital and Larger Leverage projects awarded include:

• Cootamundra Development Corporation Limited, Cootamundra NSW – Capable Coota! – $3000 – Help volunteer organisations in Cootamundra to attract high quality executive members by providing Governance training.
• Circulanation Ltd, Borroloola NT – Indigenous Entrepreneurship Facilitators Training Manual – Language Translation – $10,000 – Support Indigenous women to develop entrepreneurship and employability through translation of facilitator’s training manual into Kriol language to enable locally-led delivery of the training program.
• MultiSkill Centre Ltd, Cloncurry QLD – Work-it-out Room – $9,910 – Improve access to social and physical wellbeing opportunities for disadvantaged youth in remote township by provision of an exercise room.
• Wudinna RSL Memorial Kindergarten, Wudinna SA – Wudinna RSL Memorial Kindergarten – $25,000 – Provide pre-school children access to safe, sun-smart outdoor educational play areas by building a permanent roof structure.
• Derwent Valley Community House Inc, New Norfolk TAS – Blair Street Community Facilities – $10,000 – Boost the use of a Community House through an upgrade of facilities.
• Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC, Wail VIC – Educate, Regenerate and Inspire – Dalki Garringa Arboretum Biodiversity Program – $25,000 – Strengthen connection to local culture through the development of a First Nations educational project.
• Environs Kimberley, Broome WA – Strengthening the Kimberley Community Seedbank: a sustainable social enterprise – $24,995 – Build Indigenous business skills and support a sustainable bushfoods industry through establishment of two seed collecting enterprises.

The SRC program is collaboratively supported by a number of generous donors, which are listed here.

The current round is accepting applications until 24 August 2021, with funds to be awarded in December 2021.

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

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Includes more than $640,000 to support 2019-20 bushfire recovery

FRRR has awarded $1,062,484 in grants for 85 projects that will help boost remote, rural and regional communities across Australia, through its Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) program.

The grants awarded will go toward a broad array of inspiring initiatives that will strengthen and build the long-term viability and vitality of smaller remote, rural, and regional communities across Australia, including projects to support community healing and renewal following the 2019/2020 bushfires.

Grants range from $2,700 to help the South Australian Beachport community access lifesaving equipment, through to a $25,000 grant to improve the security and amenities at the Corryong Community Hall in Victoria.

The SRC program is collaboratively-funded and offers two streams of funding. Small & Vital awards grants up to $10,000 for locally-led initiatives that build resilience and enhance the vibrancy of rural Australia by addressing the needs identified by the community. This round of SRC has seen 49 projects sharing in a total of $420,003 in Small & Vital grants.

The second stream provides grants up to $25,000 for projects designed to help seed and strengthen the recovery of regions impacted by the Black Summer bushfires. Thirty-six bushfire recovery initiatives have been awarded a total of $642,481 in this round of SRC grants.

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said that over the past year rural people have demonstrated the true meaning of resilience and determination and continued to find ways of addressing the needs of their communities.

“The pandemic has highlighted that community groups need to be agile and able to adapt and respond to changing circumstances. To do this successfully, they need to be well resourced, with facilities, equipment and the right knowledge, skills and capabilities. The pandemic has also reinforced the importance of community-led initiatives that promote individual and community health and social wellbeing.”

“Several grassroots solutions designed to support these key initiatives and develop these vital skills have been awarded grants in this round of SRC, including the Oura Oura House – Interpretation Room project in Cygnet, Tasmania, which will strengthen connection to local Aboriginal culture, and in Biggenden, Queensland, the primary school is supporting student health and wellbeing through an amenities upgrade.

“Recovery in bushfire-affected regions has been hampered by COVID-19 restrictions, but local organisations are still seeking to do what they can to meet the local priorities in their community. This round we saw an increase in requests to fund projects that will provide access to services and activities as impacted communities begin to resume normal activities and reconnect one year on from the fires. This includes Tenterfield in NSW, where a series of creative workshops will support the social and mental health of locals.

“Improving and repairing infrastructure is also an important part of the recovery process for many of these communities. These meeting places, like Katanning’s central shopping precinct in Western Australia and the local Hall in Charleston, South Australia, played a vital role during the bushfires, providing the community with a safe place to gather during the fires, or as a space to gather in order to reconnect and seek support after the disaster,” Ms Egleton explained.

Some of the 85 projects awarded include:

• Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service Ltd, NSW – 35^th Anniversary Celebration – $9,443 – Celebrate WAMS’ 35 years of service in the community by holding a series of events throughout 2021.
• Careflight Limited, NT – Obstetrics Training for CareFlight Flight Nurses – $8,800 – Improve safety and health outcomes for babies and mothers from remote communities with Midwifery Training for Careflight nurses.
• Stanthorpe and Granite Belt Community Radio Association Inc, QLD – Stanthorpe Community Radio Transmission Equipment – $9,773 – Increase communication of local news, events and emergency information, by supporting the establishment of a community radio station.
• Nipapanha Community Aboriginal Corporation, SA – Irish Well Hut Cultural Heritage Museum Development – $9,300 – Help people gain an awareness of local culture through the provision of display material for a museum.
• East Coast Regional Development Organisation Inc, TAS – Raising the Roof on the Bread Oven – $5,332 – Encourage people to come together by redeveloping a community gathering space.
• Corryong Neighbourhood House Inc, VIC – Giving Youth a Voice – $25,000 – Increase youth representation in community recovery and development, through employment of youth workers to support youth leadership in the Upper Murray.
• Fitzgerald Biosphere Group Inc, WA – Dancing in the Dirt Gala Ball – A Community Event – $5,000 – Build community wellbeing and strengthen mental health by supporting ‘Dancing in the Dirt’ Gala for small, drought stricken community.  

The SRC program is collaboratively supported by a number of generous donors, which are listed here – https://frrr.org.au/funding/place/strengthening-rural-communities/.

The next round of SRC applications is currently being assessed and will be announced by June 2021. The current round is accepting applications until 25 May 2021, with funds to be awarded in September.

Visit here for more information on FRRR’s Strengthening Rural Communities program and other grant programs to strengthen local non-profits, community groups, volunteers, and to provide opportunities for skills, networks and leadership development.

To support grants like this through FRRR, make a tax-deductible donation at frrr.org.au/giving/.

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

Jump to: NSW | NT | QLD | SA | TAS | VIC | WA