By Renee Wood
Half a million dollars will be going towards supporting projects across the Yarra Ranges part of the council’s annual Grants for Community program.
Councillors unanimously supported the funding at the Tuesday 26 October meeting for 68 projects across the municipality ranging from events, health and wellbeing projects and Covid-19 recovery ideas.
Councillor Sophie Todorov said they support the council’s strategic plans and will create a sense of belonging and identity for local communities.
“I must say our calendars will be jam packed over the next 12 months or so, so many fantastic initiatives and events coming up,” she said.
The grants were broken into community development, arts and heritage and festivals and events.
“They will involve many community volunteers, in fact we can never underestimate the monetary value of our volunteers in running these fantastic events and programs as well.
Councillor Tim Heenan said many of the funding recipients will be looking forward to getting back together after cancellations due to the pandemic.
“We know that in 2022 there is a lot more certainty for our community to have these great events and to do these great things in the community than what there was in 2020 and even 2021,” he said.
Local grants include:
Community development
– Woori Yallock Primary School’s membership for Happy Families program $1,980
– Mums of the Hills to deliver a ‘resilient mums’ support project $8,000
– Healesville Arthritis Support Group to help older residents affected by the lockdowns $5,210
– Healesville Living & Learning Centre’s Social Justice Day event $2,485
– Upper Yarra Rotary Club for a LGBTIQA+ mentoring program $7,000
– Badger Creek Community’s Dancing in the Dark weekly event $1,950
– Eastern Domestic Violence Sevice’s Level Playgroup $5,000
– Upper Yarra River Reserves Committee workshops and regenerative tourism course $5,000
– Healesville CORE to develop an educational outreach package and town meeting $9,860
– CIRE Services to re-introduce a second weekly Gumboots Playgroup $3,175
– Yarra Valley ECOSS to create Crops for Community $10,000
– The Valley Market Warburton to support the monthly market and mentoring youth $8,000
– The Big Sister Experience for a series of mental health and wellbeing workshops $4,000
Arts and Heritage
– Yarra Valley ECOSS for its indigenous education program the Bunjil’s Nest $10,000
– Healesville Toastmasters for Zinezibar and online workshops $5,000
– Yarra Valley Singers for pop-up performances $10,000
– Belgravia Foundation for a school holiday art program $10,000
– Yarra Valley Arts for a series of textile art classes $5,000
– Auspicious Arts Projects to build on from a 2021 documentary about creative women $7,000
– Katu Katu for a mentoring project for local artists $8,000
– Yarra Valley Arts for the annual Open Studios
– Djirri Djirri Cultural Services for a traditional Wurundjeri ceremony $7,000
– Yarra Ranges Heritage Network for a research project with 15 historical societies $10,000
– Forgotten Heroes Vietnam and Veterans Music reminiscence project $10,000
– Mikhaela Ebony Bourke at Burrinja for Play Imagine Create workshop series $7,500
Festivals and Events
– Opus Twenty One for the Big Band Park series at Queens Park $3,164
– Yarra Ranges Film Society for the Warburton Film Festival $2,000
– Ecstatic Arts Incorporated for the Blacksmiths and Artisans Festival $10,000
– FoodPatch Art for Efemera a 9 day multi-arts event $9,000
– Eastern Volunteers for a volunteer expo showcasing community groups $9,000
– Victorian Skateboard Assoc. for Yarra Ranges Downhill Festival $8,000
– The River Folk Festival for the 3 day music festival in Warburton $9,000
– The Jamalama Music for the Backyarder Festival $9,000
– Yarra Valley Arts for Sensefest with musical master classes for youth $9,000
