By Callum Ludwig
Warburton Valley CEDA (WVCEDA) is set to continue to lead business recovery and the Upper Yarra with the help of a new round of grants from the Yarra Ranges Council.
WVCEDA was one of eight successful recipients of Round Two of the Business and Trader Group Led Recovery Grants throughout the region.
WVCEDA committee member and owner of Yarra Valley Gourmet Foods Jacqui Harvey helped put together the application for the grant and said they’re excited to work together with Council again, who have been very supportive.
“Our work will be all about digital upgrades and business engagement, and while we are funded by the membership of our businesses, it’s not always enough to give the services that we want to help each of our businesses,” she said.
“This grant will go towards finding a better way of giving a voice to our members and being able to give them advice, connections and resources through improved digital capability and offering more resources.”
Through the last round of the grant, WVCEDA was able to host their successful Business Expo in the Warburton Arts Centre.
Ms Harvey said WVCEDA believe they hold a leadership role in the local community and want to bring businesses together and empower them.
“Our members get the opportunity to jointly market to their own local community and reduce their individual costs by using our resources, telling their story via us,” she said.
“We’re lucky we’ve got all different types of businesses, from tourism to general traders, that can use each other and spread that information a bit wider,”
“If the trader groups across the Yarra Ranges can actually utilise each other and learn from each other about what we’re doing differently then it’s a really good opportunity because in the end, we’re all wanting the same outcomes for our regions and we want our local economy to remain viable.”
The other successful recipients include Kallista Traders Group, Monbulk Traders Association, Yara Valley Business Network, Healesville Traders, Upwey Business Group, Lilydale Business and Trading Group, and Mooroolbark Traders and Community Group.
