A mobile street university, a program that will support at least 60 young people in Hervey Bay and Maryborough to develop their work and leadership skills and a short film festival for culturally and linguistically diverse Queenslanders, are among first 16 projects to receive funding under the Thriving Cohesive Communities grants program.
Minister for Communities Coralee O’Rourke today (06 March) congratulated the 16 community organisations and local councils which will share in $930,000 funding under this round of the Thriving Cohesive Communities grants.
“The Thriving Cohesive Communities grants aim to build social cohesion in Queensland communities and promote how united, harmonious and inclusive our state is,” Mrs O’Rourke said.
“Projects receiving funding under the first round of these grants are focused on establishing community connections with young people at risk of exclusion and isolation, and bringing local people together to strengthen the understanding and acceptance of diversity in their communities.
“I’m thrilled with the response we’ve had to these grants and with the variety of the projects receiving funding right across the state.”
Projects receiving funding include:
- the TRACTION Small Engines Program, which aims to empower young people through action-based learning in restoring small engines across four school terms in the Scenic Rim
- a youth aquatic education and skills program delivered by Surf Life Saving Queensland, which will provide swimming and first aid instruction to 15 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in Cairns
- a youth space at the Redbank Plains State High School to deliver the Skill Up program and activities including sport and leadership programs
- a 12-month program for at risk LGBTI young people and their families to build connection with community through creative arts
- the Humans of Gladstone storytelling project that will share the stories of Gladstone residents from all ages, backgrounds and abilities.
The Thriving Cohesive Communities grants build upon the success of the We are Queensland grants, which funded more than 80 projects, events and activities across Queensland from 2016 to 2018.
The grants follow the release of the Thriving Cohesive Communities: An Action Plan for Queensland 2019-2021 (Stage 2), which outlines how the Palaszczuk Government is working to strengthen social cohesion in the state’s communities.
Mrs O’Rourke said projects receiving funding under the grants would help address discrimination, racism and behaviours that lead to exclusion and isolation.
“Our best defence against divisive attitudes and antisocial behaviours is to create strong communities where everyone feels they belong,” she said.
