Twelve new community projects valued at more than $50,000 will soon be up and running, thanks to the support of the Mirboo North and District Community Foundation, which announced the successful applicants to its second community grants round at an awards ceremony on Monday 21 November 2011 at Mirboo North’s Walter J Tuck Recreation Reserve.
Foundation Chairman, Norman Walker, said that “he and his colleagues were delighted that the number of applicants was double the number in 2010.The application value was more than twice the amount allocated for this second round of community grants from the Foundation”
Successful applicants are:
- $10,000 to the Boolarra and District Youth Theatre Company for an arts based youth education program culminating in the production and staging of “Boolarra in the Park” a Shakespeare style Midsummers Night Dream in Spring”. This will provide the youth of the district with an opportunity to work with skilled professionals and develop a theatrical production.
- $5,000 to the Mirboo Recreation Reserve for the construction and installation of a much needed children’s playground.
- $5,000 to Uniting Care Gippsland for their program “Celebrating Youth Through Community Arts and Activities” at the Mirboo North Grainstore. This will involve young people in producing drums and skate boards they can use and exhibit.
- $3,000 to South Gippsland Primary Care Partnership (auspiced by General Practice Alliance (GPA) South Gippsland) for the “Act. Commit, Belong” (ABC) program. This campaign encourages and promotes good mental health in adolescents and has been a proven success in Western Australia.
- $5,000 to Mirboo North Secondary College for the Year 8 ‘Get Real’ personal development program for students, that will have flow-on benefits across the school and broader community
- $5,000 for Mirboo North Secondary College to enable students to participate in the ‘Year 9 Community Break Out’ program and strengthen the bond between students and community groups. This program won a Gippsland Curriculum Innovation Award in 2010.
- $3,200 to Dumbalk and District Progress Association for the purchase and installation of a community visual and audio system to assist the community to run training and other events.
- $4,000 to the Mirboo North Arty Gras Festival and Art Show (auspiced by Mirboo Country Development Inc) to enable the development and implementation of a joint media and publicity campaign to attract more visitors and enhance the social and economic outcomes for the district.
- $5,000 to the Mirboo North Walter J Tuck Reserve for an audio and sound system to provide improved facilities for training and events for the community and public, particularly for the local youth.
- $1,400 to the Mirboo and District Historical Society to relocate and preserve the old Police Lock-up in a prominent position for tourist, visitors and the community to enjoy and to preserve a piece of local history.
- $1,620 to Ridge Writers (auspiced by Mirboo Country Development Inc) to deliver a program of workshops for community members to encourage self- expression, personal development, self-discovery and empowerment.
- $2,145 to Mirboo North RSL, for a new electronic step for the community bus to assist physically challenged users of the service
Mr. Walker said “It’s an immense privilege for us to be in a position to support the community in this way”.
“We are confident that the projects we are supporting tonight will make a significant and meaningful difference to the lives of many people in our community.”