Council allocates $27,460 in grants to benefit the community

Council allocates $27,460 in grants to benefit the community

Published on 24 December 2018

Seven community organisations in the Byron Shire will share $27,000 to support a wide range of cultural, environmental, sporting and social projects in 2018/19.

The funding, which comes from Council’s Community Initiatives Program, is for projects that aim to improve the well-being and quality of life for Byron Shire residents. 

Vanessa Adams, Byron Shire Council’s Director Corporate and Community Services, said the applicants had to submit expressions of interest and address a number of criteria.

“We have so many amazing community organisations in our Shire who work incredibly hard for residents on a range of different projects and events and the Community Initiatives Program is a way we can support their work,” Ms Adams said.

“Council support can range from providing a contribution to costs, to offsetting fees, such as garbage collection or DA costs, that the groups have to pay when they host an event or build something,” she said.

The successful recipients of the 2018/19 Byron Shire Council Community Initiatives Program are:

Australian Indonesian Arts Alliance ($5,000) to set up the Byron Multicultural Network which will build the capacity of volunteers from multi-cultural backgrounds to hold monthly multicultural gatherings and support events and workshops promoting cultural exchange. Bangalow Koalas ($4,520) for the Bangalow Koalas Community Wildlife Corridor from Byron Bay to Repentence Creek. Byron Bay Community Association ($5,000) to set up a wet weather shelter for the homeless during severe wet weather in Byron Bay.  The shelter will provide beds for a safe and dry place to sleep for 25 men and 10 women per night for 18 nights a year. COREM ($5,000) to support and train volunteers to have conversations with 500 residents in the Byron Shire to inspire climate action, build community resilience and through ‘Repower Byron Shire’, empower people to switch to ethical electricity, reduce power bills and produce their own solar power. Mullum SEED Inc ($4,940) for a training, maintenance and monitoring program for chemical-free strategies and techniques to ensure long-term sustainability and increase flora and fauna diversity along the Saltwater Creek. Eureka Football Club ($2,001.37) - reimbursement of fees paid for a DA for changing rooms for the sports fields at Eureka. Mullum to Bruns Paddle ($1,000) - reimbursement of fees for road closures, advertising of road closures and extra garbage bins for the Mullum2Bruns Paddle.

For more information contact Annie Lewis, Media and Communications Coordinator, on 6626 7320.