Seventeen Golden Plains community groups have been awarded Community Strengthening Grants by Council, to deliver an exciting range of community projects and programs across the Shire.
In the second round of this year’s grants program, Council awarded a combined $71,928 to the successful groups for projects across four categories: Healthy Active Living; Creative Community; Environment and Sustainability; and Community Safety.
As with the first round announced in July, Council invited recipients to tune into the livestream of Tuesday’s Council Meeting, where Councillors read out a short statement on each of the successful projects. This was instead of the usual in-person community event, which was unable to go ahead due to COVID-19 restrictions.
In this round, grants were received by another diverse field of organisations, ranging from sustainability and environment groups to sporting clubs, as well as organisations such as Life Saving Victoria. These grants will support a variety of programs, including building community facilities, enhancing the biodiversity in local reserves, and helping local residents purchase a solar or battery system for their home. Council’s $71,928 contribution will leverage another $204,560 in value for the community and provide a return of $2.80 for every $1 invested by Council.
In its 25th year, Council revised its successful community grants program, which now sees Community Strengthening Grants awarded in two rounds each year. In the first round of this year’s Community Strengthening Grants program, sixteen groups shared in $74,284 of funding.
Golden Plains Shire Mayor Cr Helena Kirby congratulated the successful community groups on their well-deserved grant funding.
“Congratulations to the second round recipients of Council’s 2020 Community Strengthening Grants program. While not the same as our usual special event to present each community group with their cheque, it was an honour for my fellow Councillors and I to announce the 17 recipients at the livestreamed Council Meeting.
“From projects in Haddon to Maude, it is terrific for Council to be able to support these well-deserving community groups to deliver a fantastic list of projects for our communities in all corners of the Shire.
“The $71,928 awarded in this round, follows the $74,284 allocated by Council to 16 community groups during the first round of this year’s grants program in July. All of us at Council are looking forward to seeing these projects come to life over the next year.
“If your community group has a valuable project that would benefit from a Community Strengthening Grant, I encourage you to put in an application for next year’s grants program.”
The recipients of the second round of Council’s Community Strengthening Grants are:
Community Group |
Project Name |
Grant Category |
Grant Amount |
---|---|---|---|
Meredith Cricket Club |
Updating the Cricket Nets |
Healthy Active Living |
$2,500 |
Woady Yaloak Athletics Club |
Haddon Seating Enhancement Project |
Healthy Active Living |
$1,980 |
Rokewood Kindergarten |
Outdoor Blinds Project |
Healthy Active Living |
$2,717 |
Bannockburn and District Netball Association |
Community Sports Grandstand |
Healthy Active Living |
$10,000 |
Hands of Change Meredith |
Meredith Community Garden |
Healthy Active Living |
$5,000 |
Maude Recreation Reserve Committee of Management |
Maude Recreation Reserve Cricket Nets |
Healthy Active Living |
$3,243 |
Mannibadar Hall Committee |
Mannibadar Soldier Settlement Centenary |
Creative Community |
$5,610 |
Linton Cemetery Trust |
Chinese Memorial Plaque and Landscaping |
Creative Community |
$2,500 |
Garibaldi Landcare Group |
Hardies Hill Reserve Wetlands Restoration |
Environment and Sustainability |
$4,000 |
Inverleigh Golf Club |
Inverleigh Golf Club Watering Project |
Environment and Sustainability |
$8,600 |
Linton and District Progress Association |
Enhancing Edinburgh Reserve’s Biodiversity |
Environment and Sustainability |
$1,300 |
Yarrowee Leigh Catchment Group |
Replacement of Landcare Tree Planting Tools |
Environment and Sustainability |
$1,256 |
Batesford Fyansford Stonehaven Landcare |
Enhancing Red Gum Reserve’s Biodiversity |
Environment and Sustainability |
$2,087 |
Bannockburn Community Planning Group |
Milton Street Arbour |
Environment and Sustainability |
$8,000 |
Geelong Sustainability Group |
Community Solar Bulk Buy |
Environment and Sustainability |
$8,000 |
Life Saving Victoria |
Sink or Swim Aquatic Safety and First Aid Online |
Community Safety |
$4,385 |
Bannockburn & District Men’s Shed |
Security Alarm System |
Community Safety |
$750 |