Nine women from the Bega Valley have been awarded Young Women’s Grants. Photo: BVSC.
Nine women who have been working to make their Bega Valley home a better place have been awarded grants as part of this month’s International Women’s Day celebrations.
From sharing First Nations culture, improving the environment, adding to the region’s supply of artists, to helping to clean up beaches, these women have been helping improve their community.
Poppy Collins, Courtney Maher, Taylah Abraham, Bohdi Moffat-Turner, Bianca Bellicanta, Matilda Johnston, Shanice Hilder, Majella Bailey and Matilda McCarthy were given grants worth $500 each from Bega Valley Shire Council earlier this month.
The goal for Ms Collins is to restore eroded wetlands, focusing on regenerative and sustainable farming strategies, by replanting native freshwater wetland species.
She aims to use her grant to buy seedlings and employ professional Landcare workers.
Ms Maher is actively pursuing business opportunities to help members of her community on NDIS plans and will use her grant to buy supplies.
Ms Abraham will use her funding to get first aid and mental health first aid training so she can further her career in aged care and support her future plans of working with the valley’s youth.
Passionate musician Ms Moffat-Turner will use the grant to record her own music and hire other local musicians to play together at gigs.
A member of the Social Justice Advocates’ Youth Climate Action Group who participates in fortnightly beach clean-ups and hosts events such as the Tura Beach Late Night Libraries, Ms Bellicanta will use her grant to continue her flute lessons and attend a creative writing course.
Ms Johnston is developing her art skills and will use the funding to host a three-week exhibition at Bega’s Spiral Gallery. She has plans to open her own studio/workshop.
Aboriginal artist Ms Hilder wants to share the beauty of Aboriginal culture with her community.
She will use her grant to hold market stalls so she can continue to develop her art and display the Aboriginal music and art of her peers.
Artist and printmaker Ms Bailey will use the funding to expand her art range and buy supplies to make larger quantities of her screen printed fabrics.
Ms McCarthy runs her own business teaching and performing circus skills and will use her grant to purchase new equipment so she can expand her classes and provide a connective, creative and safe space for people of all ages to play and express themselves.
The second round of Young Women’s Grants is open to young women aged between 18 and 25. Applications close on 31 March.
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