A variety of community groups and organisations across the Macleay Valley will be looking forward to 2022 safe in the knowledge that they have secured a grant from Council to do great things in the new year.
Grants totalling $72,579 have been awarded to 20 organisations across the six categories of environmental, community, sporting, youth, safety and bushfire recovery.
Kempsey Tennis Clube were one of the Sporting Grants recipients, awarded $1294 to purchase equipment for the Club.
YP Space MNC received a Youth Grant for $2,200 for BoostYouth, a resource for the YPS Youth Refuge that provides fitness equipment for use by residents within the service. BoostYouth encourage young people experiencing homelessness to add exercise to their daily routine to decrease stress, anxiety, depression & promote better mental & physical health.
Hat Head Community Garden received a Bushfire Community Grant of $4005 to build and maintain raised vegetable gardens in a common vacant area in the village. The plan is for 4 timber beds measuring 2×5 metres each and spaced widely enough for ease of access by wheelchairs and mobility scooters. The pathways around the beds will be lined with rubber matting. The beds are constructed with built-in wooden plank seating for ease of access by less able volunteers. Three of the 4 beds will have adjustable shade cloth coverings.
Kempsey Shire Mayor, Liz Campbell, celebrated the wealth of amazing work supported by the grants.
“Council successfully relaunched an updated Community Grant Program last financial year and the 2021-2022 program has built upon that success,” said Cr Campbell.
“These grants reinforce our belief that some of the best work for the community is done by the community and the best thing Council can do is support them.”
Recommendations for funding are made through a competitive application process with applicants required to meet the Community Grant Program’s Eligibility Criteria.
The community grant process was competitive with 22 applications received across six grant categories. Of these, 20 organisations were identified as having met the Community Grant Program’s Eligibility Criteria and chosen to receive grants.
To ensure that Council is seen by the community as being consistent with its support of local organisations, and to minimise any conflict of interest, Council resolved to reintroduce a new Community Grant Program that was fair, transparent and accountable.
