The Mumbulla Community Foundation held a road trip to promote its 2022 round of community grants. Photo: Mumbulla Community Foundation.
In the latest round of community grants from the Mumbulla Community Foundation, $122,000 is now available to help out local, grassroots initiatives in the Bega Valley.
Over two decades, the foundation has provided about $1.4 million to the community through its programs.
One of these is its community grants, which aims to improve the economic, environmental, social and cultural wellbeing of people in the shire.
While the 2022 grants are open for applications, time is running out as they close on 30 November.
“We are looking to fund activities for older people, people with a disability, young people, children, families and others in need,” Mick Pryke, the chair of the foundation, said.
He said the Bega Valley was economically and socially diverse, so there was a lot of need in the region.
“Since the Black Summer it’s been even more challenging,” he said.
The foundation is offering small grants of up to $2000, large grants between $2000 and $10,000, and a few of up to $20,000 for big projects.
“Often people will tell me that to a small, community-based group, a couple of thousand dollars can make an enormous difference to them,” Mr Pryke said.
He said projects funded in 2021 included Youth Mental Health First Aid Training to small business owners and their staff by the Bega Valley Suicide Prevention Action Network, while the Tathra Community Garden built a shelter that is used for education workshops and demonstrations.
Each year, Bega Valley Shire Council grants $25,000 to the program. For the 2022 round, the foundation has also managed to secure $80,000 from the Federal Government’s Black Summer Bushfire Recovery program and $17,000 from Global Giving’s Australian Wildfire Fund, which means $122,000 is available this year.
Mr Pryke said the relationship the foundation had with council had an enormous impact on their ability to obtain the extra funds.
“It’s certainly rare that we have such a strong relationship with our council, in terms of the community funding programs,” he said.
For more information on the grants and to apply, visit the foundation’s website. Applications close at 5 pm on 30 November.
All grant applications must be linked, in some way, to recovery from the Black Summer bushfires or building resilience to future disasters.
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