Bluebird acquires funding for isolated families

AN injection of $10,000 will go towards Geelong families seeking an artistic outlet in 2023, thanks to the City’s latest round of community funding totalling more than half a million dollars.

Community arts organisation Bluebird Foundation Inc., based in South Geelong, is one of the big winners in the City of Greater Geelong’s 2022/23 round of Community Grants, one of six organisations to receive $10,000 in funding within the Healthy & Connected Communities stream.

Bluebird Foundation’s program manager Bron Lawson said the extra funds will go towards the organisation’s Isolated Families initiative, which caters to disadvantaged families in the Greater Geelong area.

“We’ve been really lucky to have council back our programs in the past and this year is no different,” she said.

“We have found a need throughout our community programs that some families and their children are in need of additional support to access our programs.

“We know there are a number of reasons for this ranging from language barriers, cultural differences, someone in the family is living with a disability, or because of socioeconomic challenges.”

Bluebird Foundation already assists more than 1,000 families through its programs ranging from artistic workshops to its theatre group and its youth choir, with more set to benefit from council’s funding boost.

The funds will go directly through one of Bluebird Foundation’s Project Workers, Sarah Clarkson, who will utilise the funding to determine ways for families to become part of the Bluebird community using the NORTH Children’s Choir as the pilot program for the funding.

The NORTH Children’s Choir, established in 2019, provides opportunities for talented young singers aged 6-11 years residing in Geelong’s northern suburbs, embarking on a high-level choral pathway.

“These funds will allow us to improve things in the choir like how we engage with local families, what the best ways are to communicate with them, how to develop connections with them and more pragmatic things like our enrolment processes,” Ms Lawson added.

“We know the people who participate in our programs report the incredible sense of pride that they receive as a result of being able to express themselves creatively.

“Likewise, we absolutely benefit from connecting with the incredible individuals that are a part of our community, who are kind enough to share their stories.”

To find out the full range of programs at the Bluebird Foundation, head to www.bluebirdfoundationinc.org.au