General News
23 November, 2023
Local groups boosted by new grants
Local groups will be able to upgrade facilities and host more community events thanks to recent funding boosts from the Community Bank Avoca, Maryborough and St Arnaud. The bank this week announced its recipients for the 2023 Community Grant...
Local groups will be able to upgrade facilities and host more community events thanks to recent funding boosts from the Community Bank Avoca, Maryborough and St Arnaud.
The bank this week announced its recipients for the 2023 Community Grant Program, awarding $250,257 to 27 local groups.
“If you are a customer of ours, thank you. Because of you, we have been able to support 27 wonderful community groups and bring our total contribution to over $2.2 million,” Community Bank Avoca, Maryborough and St Arnaud branch manager Joel Condon said.
“The selected projects showcase the incredible volunteers and diversity of initiatives aimed at making a positive impact on the lives of our community.
“The positive impact of these projects will be felt across the region, fostering collaboration and enriching the lives of our community.”
This year’s community grant recipients included:
• Asteria Services — $82,617 for a wheelchair accessible vehicle for disability support services
• Maryborough & District Highland Pipe Band — $19,400 for pipe band hall refurbishment
• Talbot Football Netball Club — $16,742 for kitchen appliance upgrade
• Carisbrook Football and Netball Club — $15,000 for video communications board
• Carisbrook Disaster Recovery Committee — $10,000 for the upcoming Carisbrook Christmas Night Market/Festival
• Maryborough Family History Group — $9356 for microfilm digitisation
• Committee for Maryborough — $8000 for the 2024 Goldfields Community Festival
• The Avoca & District Country Women’s Association — $2813 for barbecue trailer repairs and accessories
• Central Goldfields Bush Walking & Hiking Club — $2000 for safety equipment for bushwalking and hiking.
Asteria CEO Annie Constable said the grant will make a big impact on participants, carers and families.
“The permanent availability of a wheelchair accessible vehicle will be a wonderful enhancement to the community-based activities provided by Asteria, made possible through the generous support of the local Bendigo Bank,” she said.
“Provision of the vehicle aligns with our mission to ‘remove barriers and maximise opportunities’. We are excited for the impact this will have on participants and their carers and families.”
At the Talbot Football Netball Club, new equipment will better support local volunteers, president Dallas Byers said.
“We are delighted to receive grant funding to allow us to purchase new commercial kitchen equipment for our canteen,” he said.
“This will make a huge improvement to the volunteer experience for those assisting at club and community events, en-hancing safety and making it easier and more appealing for other community groups to utilise our facilities.”