Shire grants support community initiatives

Eleven local community, volunteer and service-based organisations have been awarded a total $10,000 in grant funding from the Shire of Augusta Margaret River to help with community activation initiatives.

The recipients, who could request a maximum of $1000, were selected from 18 competitive applications for their ability to deliver events, activities and programs that would help to make the community a better place to live and work.

The successful recipients, and their funded initiatives, are:

Augusta Community Radio 2oceansFM - 2oceansFM 10th Birthday Celebration event ($1000); Augusta Margaret River State Emergency Service (SES) - SES Open Day ($790); Augusta Playgroup - Augusta Playgroup, Continue the Growth program ($800); Christine Pillage - Christmas ‘Boxes of Joy’ ($1000); Community Home Care Busselton - Volunteer Dementia Awareness Course (in Margaret River) ($1000); Margaret River Community Garden – ‘Gather’ community garden project ($1000); Margaret River Concert Band - Spring Swing Dance event ($410); Margaret River Playgroup - Margaret River Playgroup Family Open Day 2019 ($1000); Natural Learning Centre - Wadandi Cultural Awareness Training ($1000); WA PCYC ICE breakers Bunbury - PCYC ICE breakers program (in Margaret River) ($1000); and Scott River Charity Ball Committee - Scott River Charity Ball event ($1000).

Shire Community Development Officer Jessica Black congratulated the successful recipients and thanked them for their work they put in into each of their initiatives.

“Often the grant funding will just cover some costs and there is a lot more work and resourcing that goes in by volunteers,” she said.

“Thank you for all the time and effort you put into your initiatives and the Shire is pleased to be able to offer you funding support for your valuable contribution to the community.”

Community Development grant funding rounds are held annually, with the next round opening in July 2019.

Priorities for this year’s funding went to initiatives that:

Contribute to the wellbeing and quality of life of the local community; Encourage increased membership/volunteerism in local community groups or organisations; Upskill volunteers; Increase community involvement in arts and culture; Activate the Shire’s community halls and facilities; and/or Create accessible opportunities for all community members, including people with disability (and their carers), people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, Aboriginal Australians, seniors, youth, LGBTIQ+ people, and people experiencing financial hardship.

For further information please contact Jessica Black, Community Development Officer on (08) 9780 5276 or [email protected].