Funding boost to power local initiatives

SEVERAL community groups and not-for-profit organisations operating in and around Armstrong Creek have been named recipients of the 2024 Ashbury Community Fund.

This year, 20 successful applicants will share in a funding boost of $30,000, with each community group set to receive a $1,500 grant.

The fund is an annual initiative of the Dennis Family Corporation – the developer of Armstrong Creek’s Ashbury estate – and is now in its seventh year.

Dennis Family Group managing director Grant Dennis with Story Dogs representative Karen Knuckey.

Dennis Family Corporation marketing manager Melissa Munro said the community fund program is an opportunity for the organisation to support, and contribute to, local groups that foster positive change.

“The Ashbury Community Fund is not just about financial assistance, it’s about building a stronger, more connected community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive,” she said.

“Whether organisations have a new project in mind or need support to continue an existing initiative, the Ashbury Community Fund offers a unique opportunity to make a significant impact.”

Eligibility for the grant program extends to not-for-profit groups operating across Armstrong Creek, Grovedale, Torquay and other surrounding suburbs, with an independent judging panel each year selecting the successful applicants.

The Dennis Family Corporation has been operating community funds across its residential estates in Victoria and Queensland since 2022, and in that time has distributed more than $1 million in grants to hundreds of non-for-profit organisations.

Dennis Family Group managing director Grant Dennis with Ben, Esther and Owen Bainbridge from the Torquay Cricket Club.

The Freshwater Creek Fire Brigade is among those to be awarded a grant as part of this year’s Ashbury Community Fund.

CFA commander Nick Callan thanked the Dennis Family Corporation for its generosity and said the funds would be put toward much-needed upgrades at the Freshwater Creek fire station.

“Like all CFA brigades, ours is made up entirely of volunteers who do an amazing job to protect lives and property [and] people living in our community, not just from bushfires, but all sorts of hazards and incidents, day and night, all year round,” he said.

“Being a volunteer firefighter is a pretty demanding job, carried out with little complaint by people whose contribution often flies under the radar.

“This funding is an opportunity to give something back to our local volunteers and will be put directly towards improving the amenities at the station, including the station kitchen and making the space a little more comfortable and welcoming.”

The 20 grant recipients of the 2024 Ashbury Community Fund were: