General News
10 June, 2024
Community grants awarded
The Pyrenees Shire Council has awarded over $31,000 to 11 local community groups in a bid to help bring more projects and events to the region. Successful applicants of the latest round of council’s Community Funding Program included the Avoc...
The Pyrenees Shire Council has awarded over $31,000 to 11 local community groups in a bid to help bring more projects and events to the region.
Successful applicants of the latest round of council’s Community Funding Program included the Avoca Riverside Market, Advance Avoca and Avoca Friends of the Pool.
The riverside market, held on the fourth Sunday of every month, received two grants totalling $4500, and according to treasurer Joan Quinlan, the funding will make the community event more engaging.
“One grant is to help put additional activities on at the market, last year we had a waterslide, we have done a focus on art and we hope it will attract more people back to the market,” she said.
“The other grant is to work with our local primary school students and Troy Firebrace who is an Indigenous artist to get ideas from students in improving our visuals to make the market more vibrant.”
Council’s grant program aims to foster a more inclusive, happy, and healthy Avoca community for people to live and visit, something Ms Quinlan said is a core aspect of the market.
“We would like the community to see the market as a social opportunity — we hope that we can be a central part of the Avoca community as well as expand opportunities for visitors,” she said.
“There are not a lot of options particularly on the weekends for social interaction — it is important to get people into a safe outdoor space where they can chat and find some interesting products.
“It is also really important for new residents in town to give them the opportunity to meet new people and start making connections in a comfortable environment.”
Fellow grant recipients, Advance Avoca, are also committed to creating a more connected region by lobbying for local events according to president Rebecca Wardlaw.
“We look at facilitating events or support groups who want to have a crack at starting something in the community,” she said.
“We try to point people in the right direction and help with funding, insurances or venues so that people have somewhere to go with their ideas.
“We also work with our local businesses to try and help improve what the town has got to offer and where it is going.”
The community group received two grants worth $2000 each to fund the Avoca Community Bush Dance, held at the Avoca Town Hall on Friday, June 21 from 4.30 pm, and their annual Christmas Carols event.
“Last year we had our first bush dance at the Avoca Primary School and everyone kept saying how they wanted to do that again,” Ms Wardlaw said.
“That event was done separately from Advance Avoca, but this year we have taken over and are willing to help organise the event, so with the money we will be able to bring in the band and have some fun things on the night.
“[Council] have also given us $2000 towards our annual Christmas Party that we have down at the river flat, and we have some really fun plans for that.”
Ms Wardlaw said she is thankful for the Pyrenees Shire Council’s continued support for local events.
“The shire have been fantastic in supporting most things that we have suggested — without this funding, we would struggle to be able to get events like this together so this grant means we can actually look forward to doing some things,” she said.
“All we need is some people with energy who want to create these things and we have such a good community where people want to do things.”