Grant to help Starfish Nippers roll out new mat

THE Starfish Nippers program at Anglesea SLSC will make their program and the beach even more accessible through a grant from EnergyAustralia.
The electricity and gas provider has supported community projects and initiatives in the Geelong and Western District region with grants of up to $20,000 for the past three years.
Starfish Nippers will receive $10,000 to order and install 30 metres of beach access matting to make it easier for those with mobile impairments to travel from the Anglesea SLSC clubrooms to the
water’s edge. This will allow more children to participate in Starfish Nippers and improve access to Anglesea beach to the community.
The lifesaving skills program is designed for people aged six and up with disabilities, and aims to break down participation barriers to aquatic recreation by introducing surf lifesaving in a friendly, non-threatening and safe environment.
Starfish Nippers co-founder Janet Jones said the matting would help not only all the Starfish Nippers, but also anyone who found it hard to get access to the beach.
“It might be older people who find access difficult because the sand’s too unstable.
“Anyone who needs a wheelchair to get onto the beach, we have a sand wheelchair, but this will help those ones get over the soft sand and into the water.
“It’s fantastic for everyone to have access to the beach, and for Anglesea to be suited for their needs.”
Starfish Nippers falls under the umbrella of Life Saving Victoria’s (LSV) Nippers programs, and Ms Jones said she was waiting to hear more from LSV about how the coming season would work under coronavirus restrictions.
“We’re very fortunate to be in regional Victoria at the moment, it’s fantastic we’ve got less restrictions, and hopefully we’ll go ahead this summer.”
Geelong Mums and the Torquay Lions Club also received grants.
EnergyAustralia residential sales and service leader Casey Kaminskyj said EnergyAustralia remained committed to making a positive contribution to the local community.
“Our contact centre, based in Geelong, directly employs hundreds of people in the region. Our employees are proud that these grants are awarded to important causes that continue to make the region a great place to live and work.
“Building stronger and more inclusive communities is at the heart of our community grants program. This year, we are extremely proud to support Anglesea Surf Life Saving Club, Lions Club of Torquay and Geelong Mums, and the opportunities and support they provide for those that need it most.”