Grants to help COVID recovery

TORQUAY Community Enterprise (TCE) is introducing a new program to ensure the community is well-supported during COVID-19.

TCE receives funding from Torquay Bendigo Bank Branch to aid causes that benefit the community.

Since being formed in 2008, TCE has distributed $339,000 in grants and sponsorships.

This year the group is postponing their August round of grants and is instead launching its Community Support Program.

TCE chair Magdalena Wheatland said the program will offer grants of up to $2,000 to charitable and not-for-profit organisations for the community’s benefit.

“We identified that many individuals and families were experiencing a difficult time due to the economic impacts of COVID19. We hope this new funding program will deliver funding support to the community organisations that support these community members.”

Ms Wheatland said while the program is a response to the pandemic, it may serve numerous purposes in the future.

“We envisage that the Community Support Program will be maintained in the future, specifically in times of emergencies like we have now.

“In the long-term, we’re looking at supporting larger projects through the Community Support Program, anything that builds community we will assess.”

However, going forth TCE is likely to run the program in tandem with TCE’s usual Grants Program rather than as a substitute for it.

Torquay Bendigo Bank Branch funds the group through customers agreeing to link their accounts to TCE. The funds do not come from the customers but instead the bank’s profits.

Groups can apply for Community Support Grants by heading to torquaycommunityenterprise.org.au.