Grants assist communities to tackle domestic violence, youth disengagement and other social issues
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More than $470,000 granted to projects tackling domestic and family violence, education disengagement, juvenile crime and unemployment in NSW
Bendigo, 1 April 2015: FRRR today announced that 13 projects will share more than $470,000 in grant funds through the Innovation for Community Impact (I4CI) program.
I4CI aims to create sustainable social change through early intervention, prevention, response and support, or building community capacity. Developed by the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal and Philanthropy Australia, the program focuses on the Hunter New England, Central Coast and the Mid North Coast regions of NSW. In a first for NSW, the program is collaboratively funded by the NSW Department of Family and Community Services in partnership with a number of private donors.
The program targets a range of issues and population groups including domestic violence, youth crime and disengagement, education and training, and early years’ development. There was most interest in youth focussed initiatives, with 9 of the 13 successful projects addressing youth engagement and development.
There are two levels of investment – up to $20,000 for small scale projects that have a grassroots level impact, and up to $100,000 for projects that are larger scale or require greater investment in the design and evaluation of a new approach. Some of the projects funded include:
- Moving Forwards - Work and Business Opportunities: Providing a pathway to work or business opportunities for women emerging from domestic violence situations.
- My Place My Pride: A digital story telling project to engage young people, giving them new skills and helping them to connect to local culture, increase participation in community, and provide them with a sense of place and purpose.
- Pathways to Agriculture: A project that aims to address youth and indigenous unemployment through industry partnerships and employment / training pathways.
Maree Walk, Deputy Secretary from the NSW Department of Family and Community Services, said that this is a rare opportunity to have local communities identify initiatives that they believe will make the most significant impact and address the most pressing issues in their community.
“We are delighted to have been able to support these initiatives, which will achieve positive things for children and young people in these communities,” said Ms Walk.
FRRR’s Chief Executive Officer, Alexandra Gartmann, said she was impressed by the approaches being taken and the level of community-driven change, across the program.
“The projects funded are based on a range of innovative approaches to some very deep and persistent issues. Many have a preventative focus and grant recipients will work closely with local communities and service providers to continue and strengthen the work beyond the grants,” she explained.
“We received very strong interest for projects supporting youth, as well as those affected by domestic violence. Given the level of community engagement, we look forward to seeing the impact each of the projects makes in these communities,” said Ms Gartmann.
Louise Walsh, CEO of Philanthropy Australia, said that this is an exciting initiative that brings together the philanthropic sector, Government and local communities to try some innovative things to drive social change.
“The generous support of a number of donors, in partnership with the NSW government, ensures that local community leaders can invest in strategies that they believe will work to solve some of these persistent issues. While it’s great to be announcing these projects today, there is more to be done, so if others are interested in joining us, there are more projects that we could fund with additional support.”
The program is currently seeking to raise another $300,000 to enable more groups to benefit.
The projects funded are listed below:
Organisation |
Project |
Location |
Grant |
---|---|---|---|
Bara Barang Corporation Ltd |
Central Coast Aboriginal Youth Leadership Forums |
Central Coast |
$17,750 |
Central Coast Community Women's Health Centre Ltd |
CALD DV Resource Development Project |
Central Coast |
$15,000 |
Regional Youth Support Services Inc |
My Place My Pride: Young People's Digital Stories |
Central Coast |
$20,000 |
Youth & Family Education Resources Pty Ltd |
Core of Life - Early Education to Make a Difference |
Central Coast |
$17,000 |
Mid Coast Communities Incorporated |
Working to Address Adolescent Violence in the Home (AVITH) |
Mid North Coast |
$18,040 |
Community Activities Lake Macquarie Incorporated |
Bright Minds |
Hunter New England |
$10,000 |
Southlake Community Services Incorporated |
Skate Outreach |
Hunter New England |
$19,823 |
The Canopy Incorporated |
Back to Basics - Core Life Skills |
Hunter New England |
$19,790 |
Bara Barang Corporation Ltd |
Guriwu - Connecting Culture & Youth |
Central Coast |
$85,000 |
Kempsey Family Support Services Inc. |
Speak Out 4 Kids |
Mid North Coast |
$45,000 |
Regional Development Australia Mid North Coast |
Pathways into Agriculture |
Mid North Coast |
$80,000 |
Shine for Kids Cooperative |
Stand as One – Youth Mentoring Project |
Mid North Coast |
$50,000 |
Hunter Women’s Working Group |
Moving forward – Work and Business Opportunities |
Hunter New England |
$82,000 |