Community groups boosted by generous grants

A range of local community groups have been given a welcome boost after sharing in $30,000 worth of grants thanks to the Ashbury Community Fund.

Eighteen community and not-for-profit groups from Armstrong Creek and surrounding areas were awarded grants at the 2021 Ashbury Community Fund virtual presentation evening.

Among the delighted recipients was Grovedale Toy Library, with president Erin Krusic-Golub saying she was thrilled to accept a cheque for $1,500 which would be used to purchase much-needed new toys.

“As the toy library is run completely by member volunteers and funded solely by memberships and fundraising, one of the biggest challenges we have is ensuring that we have enough toys to meet the growing demand of the local community,” she said.

“This money means we can now replace many of our older and most popular toys with new ones, and we can’t thank the Dennis Family Corporation enough for helping us make this a reality.

“There are so many deserving organisations out there, doing amazing things in the local community, which have really struggled through all the successive lockdowns. Many of these have never been in more need of support.”

Ms Krusic-Golub praised Dennis Family Corporation, together with its land partners, for continuing to help others through the Ashbury Community Fund program.

Other groups awarded grants were Geelong Mums (main picture), 3216 Connect, Uniting Vic.Tas, Connewarre CFA and the Grovedale Fire Brigade, as well as various local sporting clubs and organisations.

Nick Aubrey from Dennis Family Corporation, the developer of Ashbury Estate, congratulated each of the grant recipients and said he couldn’t have been happier with the outcome of the judging which was conducted by an independent panel.

“A vibrant healthy community takes more than bricks and mortar, he said.

“It requires a range of services delivered by community groups and associations.

“But while the work done by both individuals and organisations – and the contributions they make to local communities – is invaluable, it often goes unrecognised.

“The Dennis Family Corporation has a long history of seeking to help others less fortunate and supports a number of not-for-profit organisations.”

The annual Community Fund concept was introduced in 2002 and since then has distributed more than $750,000 in grants across residential estates in Victoria and south-east Queensland.

This is the fourth year the Ashbury Community Fund has been up and running.

“It’s been fantastic for us to be able to provide financial support for so many worthy organisations in and around the local area where our Armstrong Creek development is located – especially given the extent to which COVID had impacted on the ability of community groups to support those in need,” Mr Aubrey said.