Council award latest community grant winners

FROM men’s health to art making workshops, the Surf Coast Shire Council has awarded its latest round of grants to 32 community groups.

Nine grants were awarded across four categories including one Natural Environment Grant ($7,700), four Community Initiative Grants ($12,398), three Health and Wellbeing Grants ($15,000) and one Minor Capital Project Grant ($15,000).

The latter was awarded to the Jan Juc Cricket Club for a new permanent storage shed and is council’s largest grant to date.

Surf Coast Shire mayor Liz Pattison was joined by respective ward councillors Mike Bodsworth (Anglesea), Rose Hodge (Torquay), Gary Allen (Lorne) and Adrian Schonfelder (Winchelsea) to hand out the grants awards at a special ceremony last week.

Mayor Pattison said the event was a wonderful reminder of the “amazing people, projects, and volunteers” on the Surf Coast.

“It is always a pleasure to take part in the grant celebrations because I experience firsthand the dedication so many of you have to your communities and each other,” she said.

“This round of grants once again captures how from little things big things grow, and with a little help from council, you continue to deliver amazing projects.”

At the grants celebration, former recipients Heather McKee and Alicia Crawford from the Aireys Inlet Community Garden shared how a recent grant impacted their garden.

“The garden is more than just a garden for so many, it is a place to connect to others in the community. The grant allowed us to run three sold-out workshops,” Ms Crawford said.

“Passata making, fruit preserving and vegetable pickling. Learning how to limit wastage while gaining new skills amongst friends has been amazing and part of our sustainability ethos.”

For the full list of winners, head to surfcoast.vic.gov.au/grants