General News
10 April, 2023
Grant workshops paying off for community groups
A series of free grant writing workshops have proved so popular they will be held again for volunteers and interested community members. Central Goldfields Shire councillor Anna De Villiers said she was pleased that so many community groups took...
A series of free grant writing workshops have proved so popular they will be held again for volunteers and interested community members.
Central Goldfields Shire councillor Anna De Villiers said she was pleased that so many community groups took advantage of the workshops, and the next series will be held in the evenings for those who couldn’t participate during the day.
Not long after being elected, Cr De Villiers recognised the enormous amount of work volunteers do for their communities, particularly when it came to fundraising.
“I was always aware of people volunteering and admired the community for being so involved,” she said.
“I also recognised the value of the Maryborough Volunteer Resource Centre and started attending their meetings on a regular basis.”
These meetings highlighted to Cr De Villiers the diversity of community groups scattered throughout the shire. She also realised that, in spite of the commitment of individuals, most volunteer groups share a common concern — lack of funding.
“Through my involvement with the Institute of Community Directors, I know there is money available but the biggest obstacle is the lack of support and skill in writing a grant application,” she said.
“Some people have this idea that because organisations are not-for-profit, they don’t need any money, which is wrong as you need money to keep running.
“A lot of people work in silos, so it was a great opportunity to get together and network. The workshops were empowering, letting people know they are not the only ones struggling.”
Peter Silver is the secretary of the Maryborough Croquet Club. A Maryborough institution since 1936, the club not only caters for members, but provides social activities for community groups throughout the year and is considered an integral part of the Station Domain complex.
But, as Mr Silver said, the club wouldn’t exist without the fundraising effort of volunteers.
“Fundraising has become more difficult because there is a limited pool, so it’s important we can enable clubs to continue into the future by getting this grant money,” he said.
“I did the workshop because I’ve had no experience in writing grants and it has become such an important part of fundraising now days. It gave me the tools for more confidence in applying for grants.
“Apart from the nuts and bolts of writing grants, the additional benefit was the interaction with a diverse range of community groups groups and learning from shared experiences.”
The grant writing workshops run for six weeks, with each session lasting between two to three hours. Topics covered included event planning, data gathering and evaluation, research and strategy development.
The first round of evening workshops will start on May 1 and run every week until June 5.
The sessions will be held at the Community Hub in Burns Street Maryborough on Mondays at 7 pm.
For more information or to join contact council on 5461-0610.