On Arrernte Country

You’ve heard of the connecting and positive power of dance, right? Well, GUTS Dance Central Australia knows all about it – and knows it works. They saw an opportunity to use dance as a way to celebrate local diverse cultures in Alice Springs and, as the only contemporary dance organisation within a 1,500 km radius, this was squarely in their domain!

‘Alice’ as it’s known colloquially, is home to 25,000 residents, however there are no other towns or cities closer than 400 km away. Social cohesion can be difficult here, with divisions in the community “primarily based on race and historical disadvantage fuelled by a lack of understanding and exchange”. GUTS believed that they could address this and break down negative misconceptions through better visibility of minority populations through the art of dance.

“We see dance as a universal language that crosses cultural boundaries. People who are part of these dance groups are often newly arrived to Australia and they find cultural connection within the dance groups, or are First Nations Australian’s on whose land we live, and whose culture needs to be seen, respected and learned about.”

For much of the year in Alice, it’s too hot to have outdoor activities during the day, and there was only one significant event – Harmony Day – that brought together cultures in Alice.

They thought it was about time for another offering and started planning. As part of SPRING.LOADED.DANCE, GUTS’ inaugural contemporary dance festival, they would deliver a Community Dance Day (CDD), during which social and cultural dance groups could showcase their dancing, and audiences could join in!

Using a $9,800 Strengthening Rural Communities grant funded by FRRR, the festival team identified local groups to be involved, liaised with participants, undertook the planning for setup and packdown of the site and marketed the event. The CDD event took place on the Council Chamber Lawns in the CBD of Mparntwe/Alice Springs. It included Tinkerbee Arrernte Dancers, who got to showcase their incredibly important dances and gain experience in performing for audiences. The GUTS 50+ dance group ‘Chance to Dance’ had their first public performance – ”a wonderful stepping stone for building their confidence to perhaps continue to work towards more small performances in the future.“ There were Balinese and Nepalese dancers, kids dance offerings, Afo Afro Dance Group and Alice Swing.

The GUTS Brave Bodies group also performed a short piece by emerging Arrernte / Yankunytjatjara dance maker Toni Lord, created out of her grandmother’s stories. Most of the young women in the group have First Nations heritage, however for many this was their first time performing a contemporary Aboriginal dance piece.

Each dance group was paid for their time, showing that the organisers truly understand the value of each distinct offering and practice.

With performances from 50 dancers, and attendance by 230 community members over 2.5 hours, GUTS is confident that a broad cross section of the community was able to watch and participate, and benefit from exposure to the wonderful world of cultural dance.

Co-artistic Director, Madeleine Krenek, said they will endeavour to run CDD every year, regardless of whether the SPRING.LOADED.DANCE event continues.

“While there were many different offerings throughout the broader festival, CDD was perhaps the most celebratory, inclusive and fun event we put together.

“There was a wonderful amount of participation from the audience and the general energy was proud and supportive.

“Through GUTS’ work with young people in the community, we know that when dance is employed as a vehicle for empowerment and engagement, it is celebrated by a diverse and numerous portion of our population.

“Often, we find that people have never been exposed to dance before and once they are, it speaks to them in a way they were unaware it could. It is a form that defies the conventions and barriers of language and speaks to our commonality as humans through the bodies each of us possess. In this way, it is a tool with which we can understand one another and build relationships across many boundaries.“

Madeleine Krenek, Co-Artistic Director

For more inspiring stories like this, head to our FY 2021/22 Annual Review.

On Gunditjmara Country

On the southwest coast of Victoria, the city of Portland and surrounding areas now have access to a fantastic service called Cycling Without Age.

Cycling Without Age (CWA) is a volunteer organisation that involves taking elderly and less-abled citizens out for free bike rides on a specialised bicycle called a trishaw. The project originally started in Denmark and after major success there are now 1600 chapters across the globe, including Portland.

CWA Portland has only been in the community since 2020, but in their short time they have secured funding to purchase bikes and also partnered with the local Rotary Club. Portland’s local Rotary Club has been in the community for 70 years and know the residents well. This partnership was a perfect way to get the project off the ground.

With support from the Rotary Club, CWA Portland applied for a Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) grant to purchase a custom-built trailer that will allow them to transport two bikes to other communities across the Glenelg Shire.

After being awarded a $9,000 grant, supported by the Ian Rollo Currie Estate Foundation, CWA Portland was able to purchase the trailer and has been able to regularly pick up passengers from Harbourside Lodge Aged Care facility. They have plans to engage with the Casterton and Nelson communities.

The interaction that CWA Portland has had with Harbourside completely exceeded their expectations, with the facility embracing weekly rides that see new passengers joining in each time.

This program has been extremely beneficial for passengers. For elderly people and those living with a disability, loneliness and social isolation can be a big issue, particularly in remote, rural or regional communities. The CWA bikes give these people the opportunity to ‘feel the wind in their hair’ and a chance to visit some of their favourite places in their community. CWA provides a safe and enjoyable way for community members to socialise, tell their stories and be a part of the community once again.

For example, regular rider Brian, who suffers from memory loss, enjoys seeing all the local dogs when he’s out with CWA. Brian used to be a part of the local Vintage Car Club, and he sometimes gets to visit their museum. One day he saw an orange Charger in the museum that used to belong to his son, which made him very excited when he was able to remember it.

For more inspiring stories like this, head to our FY 2021/22 Annual Review.

In response to the recent impact of drought, bushfire and COVID, Bombala Preschool in NSW wanted to increase resilience and strengthen intergenerational connections. They decided to work collaboratively to codesign and construct a community garden space, at the same time as enhancing permaculture skills.

Their idea was to collaborate with the local high school, Public School, St Joseph’s Catholic School and 11 associated organisations to create and maintain a community-based urban and Indigenous agriculture project and recovery program on land adjoining the preschool.

The aim was to create and integrate a nature-based play space and permaculture garden for the preschool with an inclusive intergenerational program, involving seniors, staff, parents, teenagers and the preschoolers in growing and sharing food, as well as showcasing sustainable practices. Blended into this, they were hoping to include culture, arts, bushfoods, a fire ceremony and a language program to celebrate the region’s Indigenous heritage.

The concept was to have the whole project overseen and aligned to a mental health plan to assist the region in its recovery from drought, bushfires and COVID. The link between improved mental health, increased community connectedness and resilience through community gardens is well documented.

Thanks to support from FRRR through a $15,000 SRC grant, funded by Jeunesse Kids Foundation, plus funding from other donors, it started out strongly. Despite COVID, Project Manager Dan Bakker and Cultural Advisor Nathan Lygon, were appointed in Winter 2020, with preliminary site works completed by May 2021.

Community involvement ebbed and flowed. While a DIY lasagna-garden (a no-dig, no-till organic gardening method) workshop, thermal composting demonstration and formal project tour were convened in late 2020, they were poorly attended due to the escalation of the pandemic anxiety at the time, but there was still strong support to keep the project moving forward. The involvement of students and staff from Bombala High School and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School led to both schools committing significant efforts. All year groups of St Joey’s eagerly and actively attend the fortnightly double-day sessions, with the high school having established a core group of over 15 students, each of whom now have assumed operations roles in the patch.

Students, staff and volunteers (often hand-in-hand with preschoolers) diligently worked together on activities including:

• Extensive excavation, shaping and lasagna-garden building of soils;
• Haulage of all hardwood materials, aggregates, fertilisers and construction materials;
• Significant terrace, path and congregation areas preparation;
• The creation of more than 75 square metres of seasonal garden bed;
• The trench digging and placement of a 200 bush-pole perimeter fence;
• Reconstruction of a pre-existing garden shed;
• Building an outdoor multi-purpose work-bench / kitchen;
• Commenced construction of cultural fire circle;
• Full replacement of the adjoining fence line with KidSafe approved permeable pool fencing;
• Arterial irrigation system installation;
• Initial laying of 45 metres of arterial path paving;
• The construction of a walk-in chicken coop and 25 square metre chicken run; and
• Peri-secure sheep fencing of one acre block opposite.

Daniel Bakker, Project / Events Manager from Bombala Preschool reported that some 18 months into the venture (and in the face on unprecedented challenges), the project’s initiation has been viewed a considerable success with construction activities, social / cultural events, seasonal planting and systems-integration unfolding ahead of schedule and beyond the standard expected in the drafting of the project.

“Preschool staff and students have established a deep and caring connection with the garden. Almost all planting and harvesting has involved children. St Joey’s ‘big-buddies’ students have bonded with many of the preschoolers, giving agency for respective students to assume mentor roles. Likewise, high schoolers (mostly male) have exhibited caring capacities rarely seen by their teachers,” he explained.

Several key inclusive events have been convened, doing much to extend and lift the social profile of the facility. River Cottage Aust Chef and ABC South East presenter, Paul West, worked with students to make a meal using produce from the patch and contributed to a Solstice Fire Mandala with students and preschoolers, before co-initiating the ceremonial Indigenous fire with Nathan Lygon. The first spark was tindered using traditional Indigenous fire making techniques graciously shared by Nathan. Lanterns prepared by the preschool outlined the fire mandala, which was attended by 65 family members.

In preparation for this event, a cultural name was chosen for the project – Ngulla, meaning ‘plant-based food’ in the language of the Ngarigo region. This name was offered by an Elder of the Country and secured by the Cultural Advisor, Nathan, through culturally sanctioned channels.

Shortly thereafter, they hosted ABC Gardening Australia’s Costa Georgiadis for a day of site tours, recovery and sustainability themed workshops and a panel discussion. The discussion was MC’d by local journalist, Sophie Longden, with both Costa and local identities providing input on the topic of social resilience, regenerative agriculture and environmental recovery. More than 100 locals attended the event, something unprecedented in the history of the preschool.

While COVID hampered the project significantly and in multiple ways, the project has been a great success and the groundwork is laid for ongoing projects and partnerships. With lock-up and full systems integration approaching, the facility is looking well-placed for staff to safely allow children to freely explore and integrate with the playscape, giving the project increased formal and informal education capacity.

For more inspiring stories like this, head to our FY 2021/22 Annual Review.

The small, rural town of Mooral Creek is around 260 kms north of Sydney. Following the devastation of the 2019/20 bushfires, the Mooral Creek Hall & Progress Association Committee embarked upon a project to bring the whole community together to connect, reflect and support each other through the bushfire recovery process.

With the help of a $25,000 Strengthening Rural Communities grant, supported by the Fire Fight Australia Fund, came Creative Spark – an arts project aimed at encouraging creative expression and developing confidence and skills in a range of artistic forms. Through a series of visual and performance arts workshops in 2021, the project brought together the people of Mooral Creek and neighbouring communities. The project culminated in an uplifting Showcase event that celebrated the community’s achievements.

Project organisers coordinated the delivery of 14 different workshop series over 55 sessions, all while negotiating the difficulties of local flooding and COVID restrictions. More than 75 community members participated in at least one workshop.

Participants benefited from the skill, enthusiasm and encouragement of 11 local facilitators who aimed to shift focus from loss and trauma to positivity and inspiration. The facilitators themselves benefited from being able to share their knowledge, expertise and creative skills, while strengthening their community relationships. Sadly, the Fire Chief passed away during the project, however his wife found solace in delivering her painting workshop, and old and new friends were able to journey with her through grief and creativity.

Some of the resulting artworks from the many workshops directly reflected the subject of the bushfires and gave the town many beautiful keepsakes. In one workshop, participants painted the windows of Mooral Creek Hall with a stained-glass effect. They depicted their homes surrounded by colours, lines and shapes that evoked fire, smoke, landscape and nature. The overall effect for the Hall was transformative – creating a vibrancy and cathedral-like space, which can now be appreciated from both inside and outside the hall. The result of another workshop was a painting on a nearby utility pole – a simple memorial of the Black Summer Bushfires, in recognition of the work of the RFS and particularly, their Fire Chief. It depicts a koala, a goanna and a crimson rosella, some of the local fauna that suffered from the impact of the fires.

Other workshops had a stronger focus on coming together to learn physical skills, with a focus on mental wellbeing, such as ‘The Magic Circus’, Tai Chi and drumming workshops. The Middle Eastern Dance workshop saw women of all ages develop skills and collaborate over many weeks to choreograph a belly-dancing performance. The performance, titled Out of the Ashes, was described by many at the Showcase event as the best thing they had ever seen at the hall.

As well as exhibiting the artworks created during the workshops, the Showcase also displayed photographs taken during and immediately after the fires. This proved very thought-provoking, with many locals using them as a talking point to share their experiences of the bushfires. Also on display were several portraits commissioned from a local artist, which recognised community members who experienced significant loss from the bushfires, and were gifted to the sitters following the event.

The benefits of the Creative Spark project were far-reaching and effectively assisted the community to work through the trauma and experiences of living through the bushfires. Many residents were able to be involved in different ways – whether as a workshop facilitator or participant, having their portrait done, or as an audience member at the Showcase event. The breadth of arts activities and incredible scope of the project created a vibrant energy in the community and residents were amazed at what they were able to achieve. Several activities have continued throughout 2022 – evidence of the ongoing benefits of the project.

For more inspiring stories like this, head to our FY 2021/22 Annual Review.

On Jukembal, Kamilaroi and Bundjalung Country

The TenterLIFE Suicide Prevention Network was formed in 2019 in the northern NSW rural community of Tenterfield. By bringing members of the community together to talk and learn about suicide prevention, the organisation hopes to reduce the number of suicide and suicide attempts in the area.

Tenterfield has been through many traumas over the past few years. Drought, fires and more recently COVID have taken their toll on the community. The effects of the 2019/2020 Black Summer bushfires are still being felt by the community, with the landscape still blackened. This affects people’s mental health.

Tragically, there were 154 suspected or confirmed suicide deaths reported in NSW from 1 January to 28 February 2021. This is similar to the number of deaths reported within the same time period in 2019 and 2020, so this is an ongoing issue that needs dedicated focus.

Chairperson of TenterLIFE, Lexie Sherren, explained that the numbers for the Inverell / Tenterfield area are among the highest in the state.

“By informing communities of the drastic need to be more aware of the situation, hopefully these numbers can reduce,” she explained in their application.

The compelling case, plus the support of a range of local stakeholders, including health, allied health, education and charity sectors, plus community members with first-hand experience of mental health and suicide impacts, coupled with their track record, saw TenterLIFE awarded a $25,000 Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) grant, thanks to the support of a private donor. The funds went toward printing flyers, purchasing t-shirts and windcheaters to be worn on their public walks and running Suicide Prevention First Aid training. Having spent less money on the shirts and jackets, FRRR approved a variation that meant they also purchased a PA system to use at events, rather than borrowing from one of the members.

The group has held regular ‘Walk ’n’ Talk’ events, marked White Wreath Day where they remembered those lost to suicide, as well as participated in Stress Down Day, where there was a talk on stress management and then the group sang and blew bubbles.

“All the comments were positive and I don’t think I’ve seen everyone attending smile and laugh so much. We played People Bingo, had an A-Z Scavenger Hunt and played lots of games.

“These events instil a sense of belonging for community members. Knowing someone cares can provide relief for a person who may be suicidal. Giving voice to their thoughts and expressing their feelings aloud, knowing someone is there to listen, can be truly lifesaving. Isolation or feeling alone can also increase suicidal tendencies, while connection with another person can have the reverse affect,” Ms Sherren said.

The group has more activities planned throughout the year.

For more inspiring stories like this, head to our FY 2021/22 Annual Review.

As thousands of Australians continue to be impacted by floods in Victoria and Tasmania, FRRR is seeking donations to meet the recovery needs of the remote, rural and regional communities that will need help and support in the coming months and years.

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said that the Foundation has already seen local people and organisations once again step up and come together to support one another in the lead up and, as waters start to recede in some places, with the long road to recovery that they have ahead of them.

“The people and places in flood affected regions throughout Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania will continue to feel the impacts of what’s unfolding for months and years to come. We really can’t stress enough just how big the long term social and economic consequences can be as a result of these kinds of natural disasters.

“Many of these regions, particularly those in Central Victoria, have been through this kind of disaster before, making the current floods all the more traumatic. Many members of the FRRR team themselves have spent the last few days evacuating, helping loved ones to evacuate or have been out sandbagging in their local communities.

“In the last 20 plus years, FRRR has built strong networks and relationships with the people and the community organisations that are being impacted right now and, as always, we’ll be waiting and ready to support them throughout the medium to long term recovery process. Donations to our flood appeal will help to rebuild infrastructure in these areas, address the physical and mental health challenges that occur as a result of this disaster, build the capacity of community groups and strengthen community-led recovery efforts,” Ms Egleton explained.

People can support FRRR’s Flood Recovery Appeal by donating to the Disaster Resilience and Recovery Fund, the Central Victorian Fund or the Strengthening Rural Communities: Prepare & Recover program.

Donations to the Disaster Resilience and Recovery Fund are pooled and invested to ensure that remote, rural and regional communities affected by natural disasters can access flexible, fit-for-purpose funding to support local preparedness and recovery efforts, when it’s needed. For those specifically wanting to support Central Victoria, FRRR also offers the Central Victoria Fund, which continues the legacy of the Central Victoria Community Foundation and focuses solely on that region.

Alternatively, donations can be made to FRRR’s Strengthening Rural Communities: Prepare and Recover program, with FRRR offering one-off, flexible grants through this program to support community organisations in these flood-impacted regions.

FRRR has supported remote, rural and regional communities across the country prepare for and recover from natural disasters since 2006. To date, FRRR has distributed around $46 million for community-led disaster recovery and resilience initiatives.

If you’d like to provide immediate assistance, below is a list of some local organisations that are helping to coordinate support in affected areas:

• Tomorrow Today Foundation – Benalla
• Border Trust – Albury Wodonga Region Community Foundation
• Greater Shepparton Foundation
• Into Our Hands – North East Victoria
• Shepparton FoodShare
• Home – Bendigo Foodshare
• Neighbourhood Houses
• GIVIT
• Rural Aid
• Spontaneous Volunteering – Maribyrnong, Seymour, Rochester, Shepperton and Echuca

Finally, if you would like to volunteer, BlazeAid is currently in the process of recruiting and assembling crews of volunteers.

The small regional town of Katanning, in the ‘heart’ of the Great Southern agricultural region, 287 kilometres south-east of Perth in WA, has a shire population of just 4,200 people. While the area is essentially known for agriculture, the town is a regional centre that offers a range of government, health and education services. The Katanning community also prides itself on its multicultural diversity. 

This small community was impacted by a bushfire in February 2020, with rebuilding efforts hampered by lockdowns soon after. The community identified that it needed to find ways to engage their younger residents and keep them connected and supported.

The Katanning and Districts Pool Association Incorporated partnered with the Katanning Hub Community Resource Centre (CRC) and the Shire of Katanning to run a Youth program, inviting young people on a Friday night to come to their pool hall to socialise, learn new skills and share a meal. The program has been an overwhelming success with 35-40 young people attending each week.

The hall opened in the late 80s and did not include any kitchen facilities. Requests to use the hall from other community groups had been slowly increasing, as it is one of only a few indoor spaces available in Katanning. Providing catering facilities would make the venue a more suitable location to support these additional groups and their events. With the changing nature of the activities held at the hall, it was time for a refresh. To create a more usable space for community groups to meet, it was decided to add a kitchen area to better support the Youth program in preparing and serving these meals.

Other groups that use the hall were also supportive, including the local men’s group who expressed support for a kitchenette to make a cuppa and make their own events more welcoming for its members.

Thanks to a $10,000 Strengthening Rural Communities grant, funded by IKEA Australia, the Katanning and Districts Pool Association was able to revamp the ageing pool hall and add a meal preparation and serving area.

Local volunteers provided amazing support for the project, contributing more than 80 hours of labour to the renovations and 20 hours to fundraising each month, ensuring the project’s success.

Since finalising the renovation works, the association’s membership has increased, volunteers have been inspired to become more active and the use of the hall by other community groups has expanded. With the improved facilities making the hall more welcoming, friendly and a safe space for people of all ages, the Katanning community is feeling more connected with access to a space tailored to enjoy each other’s company.

The Katanning Police now drop by during the Youth program and challenge the young people to a game, further strengthening these important relationships. Badgebup Aboriginal cooperation is interested in partnering to deliver the Youth program into the future and the Katanning community are proud of what has been achieved, voicing it regularly in person and via social media.

The restoration of an historic jetty trolley has had unexpected benefits for men’s shed and community members on Kangaroo Island. The trolley was first used in the 1840s to transport basalt along the jetty onto waiting ships. The Kingscote Men’s Shed restoration project has seen the revival of rare trade skills using tools that were used 100 years ago to make the trolley, and the formation of new connections in the community.

The Men’s Shed received a $3,683 Strengthening Rural Communities grant, funded by the Waislitz Family Foundation, in partnership with Australian Community Media, to support recovery from the 2019/20 bushfires that devastated much of Kangaroo Island. This project is one of many FRRR supported across the island to strengthen community connection and support recovery activities.

Graeme Connell, Chair of the Kingscote Men’s Shed said, “The Kingscote Men’s Shed volunteers are very proud of their achievement to restore a 100-year-old jetty trolley and preserve the history of these trolleys that were used on jetties around Kangaroo Island. The older members of the Men’s Shed were able to share their knowledge about the skills and tools used in the old ways of construction of steel products with the younger members.”

The group used social media to stimulate interest and encourage new volunteers. New skills and friendships were formed between Men’s Shed members and community volunteers working together on this historic project, which included a local secondary student. Many passers-by were keen to see the restoration in progress, with a cup of tea at the ready for anyone interested in learning more or just having a chat.

The newly restored trolley sits proudly at the Pioneer Memorial Park as a monument both to past activities that forged the town, and as a marker of recovery. It has already become a favourite destination with local visitors and community members, particularly given its location overlooking the old wharf and beautiful coastline.

The Men’s Shed has well and truly achieved its goal of delivering a shared community project to create “meaningful interactions”. The sense of achievement and confidence from the project, and the camaraderie that has come from it has boosted mental health and wellbeing, which will have lasting impact on the group and wider community.

Nearly half of the funding to go towards COVID-19 recovery

Thanks to FRRR’s Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) program, 130 projects across remote, rural and regional Australia will share in $1,663,531 in grants.

These projects are all community-led initiatives that will have a direct benefit to the people living in the local area.

For the first time, the SRC grant recipients have been divided into three streams: the Small & Vital stream, 2019/20 Black Summer bushfire recovery and a new Rebuilding Regional Communities stream, which focuses on recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in remote, rural and regional Australia.

Funding to support COVID-19 recovery

In this round, 50 of the projects receiving funding are helping to support their community’s ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the RRC stream, these projects will share in $834,892. This includes initiatives like the Texas Country Music Festival, which will receive funding that will help to bring community members together again and improve social connectedness after extended periods of isolation.

Black Summer grants

This round will also see 25 projects receive funding to support the ongoing recovery from the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires. These projects will share $410,519, with organisations like Kingscote Men’s Shed using the grant for a project focused on empowering the men of the bushfire impacted region, as well as a coastal habitat rehabilitation.

Small & Vital stream

Through the Small & Vital stream, 55 initiatives will share $418,120 in grants. This stream funds projects that locals prioritise to take advantage of opportunities, address gaps in services or generally enhance the vitality of remote, rural and regional communities. For example, the Akurra Walking Trail will get bilingual signage, which will expand opportunities to learn about First Nation’s history, language and connection to the environment.

Jill Karena, Place Portfolio Lead at FRRR, said that this round of applications really highlighted the need for initiatives to tackle the negative impacts of the pandemic.

“This is the first SRC round where we’ve received applications for COVID recovery support through the RRC stream and there were some obvious trends. A large majority of the applications we received were related to mental health issues and social dislocation, which is a strong indicator of how remote, rural and regional Australia is faring in the wake of the pandemic and successive disaster events including fires, floods and drought. This is often exacerbated by the housing crisis and increased costs of living.

“We also clearly saw the impacts of COVID on the sustainability of these backbone organisations, with 30 percent of applications seeking support to ensure they can continue their day-to-day work, providing critical services and support, often to the most vulnerable members of the community.

“When it came to the Bushfire Recovery stream this round, a lot of the applications were focused on reducing the burden on volunteer, whereas in previous rounds we’ve seen more of a focus on infrastructure. This aligns with the findings of our Heartbeat of Rural Australia survey, which showed that volunteers in rural Australia are feeling more fatigued than ever. There was also a strong trend toward greater community connection, with projects to help bring the community together to share their experiences and support one another in their ongoing recovery.

“Meanwhile, in the Small & Vital stream, we continued to see a focus on projects that address food security, although many now also incorporate multiple community-building aspects, such as a community garden also acting as the base for training horticulture students, boosting vocational skills and employment readiness.

“The fact that we’re seeing such distinct and varied trends in each stream of the SRC program really speaks to how important it is that rural communities have access to more flexible funding that can be used as local groups see fit,” Ms Karena said.

Some more of the 130 projects funded include:

• ShoreTrack Ltd – Nambucca Heads, NSW – ShoreTrack Recovery – Improve employability and civic participation levels of disengaged youth through work experience with the SES and RFS, including gaining essential qualifications. $25,000 (Bushfire Recovery)
• Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association Alice Springs Branch – Alice Springs, NT – First Aid Training for Home Tutors – Upskill home tutors and station workers in remote communities with first aid training. $5,000 (Small & Vital)
• Steaming on the Downs Inc. – Oakey, QLD – Community Skills Workshop / Mechanical Skills Demonstrations – Gazebos and Banners – Expand organisational capacity by purchasing a trailer and three teardrop banners, enabling wider social engagement and broader mechanical skill development. $4,110 (Small & Vital)
• Copley & Districts Progress Association Inc – Copley, SA – Copley Bicycle Repairs Program – Boost physical health and community engagement, and foster new skills in young people through the delivery of a bicycle repair program in a very remote region. $7,886 (Small & Vital)
• Squid Theatre Incorporated – Wynyard, TAS – Saturday Radio Theatre 2023 Season – Sustain the creative activities of a community theatre company by supporting a weekly radio drama, providing a vital point of connection for isolated community members. $2,842 (Rebuilding Regional Communities)
• Culgoa Development Group Inc – Culgoa, VIC – “Reconnecting Culgoa” – Reduce social isolation and foster a more resilient Culgoa through establishing a landscaped outdoor space for community gatherings and events. $50,000 (Rebuilding Regional Communities)
• The Nintirri Centre Incorporated – Tom Price, WA – Midwife Services – Sustain antenatal and postnatal care and support for very isolated remote communities in the Pilbara. $10,000 (Rebuilding Regional Communities)

A full list of grant recipients can be found below.

The SRC program is collaboratively supported by many generous donors, which are acknowledged on FRRR’s website.

This program always accepts applications. Local NFPs and community groups are encouraged to review the expanded program guidelines and apply. More information about the SRC program is available at www.frrr.org.au/src.

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

Tell us about the Raine & Horne Foundation and its background.

We’re heading into our 140th year next year and we thought it was about time we should formalised our giving. We only launched Raine & Horne Foundation last year and we’ve always been giving back to the community. But we wanted to formalise it, not to mention legalise it. To date, we’ve nearly given $400,000 away to the community.

And that that that’s a contribution not only from each and every one of our offices, but also from us at corporate and it’s had fantastic cut through in 2022.

As a household brand like ours – a brand that has been around 139 years – the public demand a CSR program. It’s not just a tick of the box; they actually demand that you have something that’s formalised and you’re giving back to the community. Now more than ever, it’s very, very important.

Our first partnership was with the homelessness charity Dignity. We have a Raine & Horne Foundation House in Southwest Sydney. I visited only about a month ago. It’s for people suffering from homelessness – to get them back on their feet and then housed in a more formal environment. It’s really quite a substantial building – that’s equivalent to 4,000 nights accommodation per year for people experiencing homelessness.

What was it about rural Australia that was particularly important to Raine & Horne?

I think firstly, a lot of Australians are either physically tied to regional and rural communities, or even more so, emotionally tied.

Also, we’ve got over a third of our offices in regional and rural Australia, the length and breadth of Australia. So, that really resonated with us, not to mention the natural disasters that seem to impact those regional rural areas more than the major capital cities.

Also, I think our values sort of align too, very much so. FRRR seems to be project driven. So, the money just doesn’t disappear into the ether. It’s actually tangible results – and I love that term that you use – hyperlocal. I think that is a great term, something that’s really got in my frontal lobe. It leapt out on your website. So, you go in and you really add value and really rebuild communities.

How does the Raine & Horne Foundation connect with the broader business? And how will the Foundation use these initiatives to connect with your branches outside of the metro areas?

With our homelessness partner, Dignity, our officers have participated in boxing food up for the homeless, also folding clothes. Because a lot of the time, under emergency situations, people are leaving their previous home, and usually under cover of darkness. So, they have nothing. Our teams have helped their clothing charity. It is hard because it’s such a massive country. We’ve got offices in Dubbo, Dalby, Roxby Downs, so it’s hard getting them physically involved. At the outset, it’s more about them contributing at a financial level. But if their offices are near one of our charity partners, then usually our team just put their hands up and love to help.

Also, with Dignity, they’re desperate for socks, so we donated through all our offices – one for one. We got Raine and Horne socks, which I’m wearing at the moment. We’ve got 3,000 people in the National network. We partnered with Swanky Socks and they donated a generic pair of socks to Dignity for every time our offices bought a pair. It was nearly 2,000 socks we gave.

Finally, do you have any advice for other any other corporates and such as yourselves in in designing their corporate social responsibility strategy or partnering with not for profits?

Well, I think now it’s actually much easier to set up your legal structure for a foundation, whereas only ten plus years ago was it was quite tricky. So there goes there every corporate’s last excuse – it’s quite an easy process.

I think it’s your staff also. They really, really love going out and helping. I think that it’s really on everyone’s radar in 2022 to help and give back.