Promoting diversity, equality and inclusion is a strong focus for our Annual Community Grants recipients.
37 community organisations will receive up to $7,500 each to support a range of innovative and exciting programs and activities for Bayside residents.
Our Annual Community Grants program supports organisations to establish, extend and improve programs and services that address local needs and strengthen and enrich community life.
Bayley House’s ‘Ink It Up’ project will use their grant to highlight the artistic talents of adults with intellectual disabilities in Bayside.
Susanne Ciavatta from Bayley House said the grant goes a long way towards the professional development of staff and could even lead to Bayside being known for a new art discipline.
“We’re absolutely thrilled (to receive a Council community grant). It’s really quite significant for us because we’ve just opened our new arts venue, Bayley Arts, in Highett, and one of the initiatives is to start printmaking as an arts medium for people who attend Bayley House who have intellectual disabilities,” Susanne said.
“So, this is something we’ve never done before, and it was only made possible by receiving the community grant. With this grant, we’re able to have professional development for our art instructors who will pass that onto our Bayley artists to learn printmaking skills.”
The grant was also a win-win from a professional and commercial standpoint.
“The clients will be able to use these skills to establish long-term career pathways and it will also develop social enterprise opportunities through the sale of their prints,” Susanne said.
Hampton East Brighton Football Club’s ‘Women Leaders in Football’ program mentors women to become proactive members of local clubs. Women and girls aged four to 17 years old comprise 33% of the player and coaching demographic.
This includes three Mum-tildas teams, which unite mother-and-daughter players in their love of football. A state female team also provides a pathway for girls to continue playing beyond their teenage years.
President of the Hampton East Brighton Football Club, Stephen Brown, said: “Receiving the grant from Bayside City Council allows us to continue and expand upon these teams. We aim to attract and retain more female players and try to add a second women’s state league team – as well as developing female coaching and refereeing at the club.”
At Neighbourhood Watch 3193, they are establishing a new, volunteer-led Graffiti Busters group in Sandringham and Brighton, which aims to eliminate graffiti from private property without cost for the owner.
Graffiti Busters’ Secretary, Ellen McCartney, thanked Council for the grant and overall support for the group’s volunteers.
“It will be the third Graffiti Buster trailer in Bayside – and our aim is to eliminate graffiti throughout Bayside. And, hopefully, this grant goes a long way towards achieving those means,” Ellen said.
“We’d like to thank Council so much,” Ellen said. “They’re a great supporter of our group.”
