People make the difference

IF you spend enough time around local community spaces, you start to notice the same thing. Just how many volunteers we have making these local sports and community groups happen.

They’re the people opening clubrooms early on winter mornings. The committee members answering emails late at night. The parents organising activities to enrich the lives of kids across the region.

It does not always get noticed, but it should.

That is one of the reasons I enjoy talking about Council’s Community Grants. At its heart, it is about backing people who are already rolling up their sleeves.

This year, Council endorsed more than $2 million in funding to 98 applicants.

These grants span several categories including the arts, climate change partnerships, community events, infrastructure and environmental sustainability.

Here in Barrabool Hills, one of the larger local grants was $166,000 for improvements at the Highton Bowls Club.

The club gets steady use right across the week. Bowlers, social groups, casual visitors and locals have been going there for years.

The grant will cover extending and renewing the lower green, increasing capacity and accessibility.

The funding will also provide upgrades to paths, ditches and retaining walls as well as resurfacing with drought resistant grass to provide year-round use.

Not every grant is a large amount, but that does not mean they are any less important locally.

The Highton Tennis Club, for example, received support to upgrade its existing hot water system so it can be more energy efficient.

It is the sort of practical upgrade many clubs are trying to do quietly in the background as power costs rise and facilities get older.

These are the sorts of improvements most people never see, but committees certainly feel the benefit when running costs become a bit more manageable.

We also awarded a grant supporting programs run by the Geelong Area Multiple Birth Association, including activities involving families locally.

Anyone raising twins or multiples will tell you it takes a fair bit of planning just to get out the door, so having activities set up with that in mind helps.

Sometimes it is simply about giving parents a chance to meet others dealing with the same day-to-day juggle.

What I like about the grants is the range. Some projects improve buildings and facilities. Others help small groups run programs they otherwise could not afford.

Applications are still open for the Community Events Quick Response Grants.

These grants support events with an immediate need that prevents organisers from applying to the main Community Events Grants funding round.

If you are involved in a local club or community group and have been thinking about an idea, it is always worth seeing what support might be available.

As Barrabool Hills continues to grow, it is the people who make the difference. If our volunteers are anything to go by, we have some pretty incredible locals who care about where they live and contribute a great deal.

I look forward to seeing the outcome of these grants and encourage you all to keep an eye on Council’s grants page to see how you might be able to turn one of your ideas into reality.

For more information, head to geelongaustralia.com.au/grants

Cr Ron Nelson

Barrabool Hills Ward, City

of Greater Geelong