Grants are making a difference

IN THE the short time I have been on Council I have seen many wonderful projects come to life.

These do not happen without Council funding, and often they come with the additional support of either or both of the Victorian and Federal governments.

We are always so grateful for the money we receive via grants or other streams, and in turn it is also very rewarding to be able to provide money to local organisations via Council’s grants program.

In our latest round of the 2023-24 community grants program, Council allocated funding to support a total of 31 projects.

Spread across community infrastructure and Geelong heritage, we awarded more than $2.764 million to a wide range of projects and community-led activities in the Greater Geelong region.

I wanted to talk about some of the organisations in my Bellarine ward to receive funding, including the Drysdale Football Netball Club, the Portarlington Bayside Miniature Railway and the St Leonards Men’s Shed.

The Drysdale Football Netball Club received $50,000 to plan for a future lighting upgrade, which will replace lights that are 40 years old and don’t meet industry standards.

Like so many sporting clubs across Geelong and the Bellarine, Drysdale is home to a thriving junior program and has a strong female presence thanks to its women’s football team and its senior and junior netball sides.

The Hawks are a proud club that are active in the community and their plan to replace the outdated lights will, I have no doubt, go a long way to helping them continue to attract and retain players right throughout the club.

The Portarlington Bayside Miniature Railway is a unique experience and one that everybody should try at some stage.

I know that most of the users are school children and their parents and grandparents, but train enthusiasts and those looking to find something a little different to do will also enjoy this truly spectacular Bellarine attraction.

The beauty of the grants program is that the amount distributed to clubs can vary depending on the size and scope of the project being undertaken, and while $19,300 might seem like a small amount for some, for the team at Portarlington Bayside Miniature Railway it is a major boost to their efforts.

Knowing that this money will help contribute to the group’s plans to refurbish and build new infrastructure at the Portarlington Bayside Miniature Railway is such a great feeling and I am so excited about seeing these works commence.

Finally, there was $14,600 for the St Leonards Men’s Shed, which will go towards expanding its operations.

Men’s sheds have become significant spaces in tackling health and wellbeing issues.

They have served as crucial gathering hubs to help men once again become valued and productive members of our community, and I trust this will continue to be the case at St Leonards, who do amazing work.

I want to congratulate these and all other clubs and groups on their successful grants application.

For more information on our grants program, and to see the recipients, please head to geelongaustralia.com.au/grants where a detailed list will be published.

Cr Elise Wilkinson

Bellarine Ward,

City of Greater Geelong