Grants to boost Lakes Entrance groups

Lakes Entrance NAIDOC Week community celebrations are among 18 local community groups and events to share in $56,102 funding to deliver community projects and events across East Gippsland, announced this month.

Lakes Entrance Aboriginal Health Association will use $3,500 in East Gippsland Shire Council community grant funding to stage its NAIDOC Week celebrations in July.

NAIDOC Week (July 8-12) in Lakes Entrance will include a traditional welcome, smoking and dance ceremony, workshops, art displays, market stalls, food vans and more at the foreshore on Monday, July 8 from 11am to 8pm (fireworks at 7pm).

During the week, other events will include a community barbecue with bush tucker on Tuesday, July 9 from 11.30am to 2.30pm at Apex Park and an outdoor cinema event on July 10 at 5pm St Brendan’s Primary School back football oval screening the movie A.X.L (rated PG).

Successful grants recipients, awarded under round two of Council’s 2018/19 Community Project Grants program in the Lakes Entrance district were:

The Nowa Nowa Community Development Group also received $4,200 for its Yarnfest event with local poets and storytellers under the Arts, Culture and Heritage Grants stream.

Mayor Cr Natalie O’Connell said there is a community value-adding aspect of the program with all funding provided on a dollar-for-dollar matching requirement.

“This means that Council funding helps generate further spending within the region and achieves more value for the community than it would without these partnerships,” Cr O’Connell said.

“The objective of the grants program is to provide local community-based organisations the opportunity to access funding for a variety of needs and initiatives in a manner that is open, transparent and accountable,” Cr O’Connell said.

The next round of grants for community, arts and heritage projects and events opens on June 5, 2019, and details can be found on the council website.