Last Thursday evening we announced the grants from the Mirboo North Times Sub Fund for 2025.
Mirboo North Times Grants Support Storm Recovery and Community Projects
The successful projects were ‘Chainsaw Replacement’ for the Wednesday Warriors, a ‘Community Music Event’ for Mirboo North Arts, a ‘Tilling Machine’ for the Friends of the Baths Road Reserve and ‘Milling Recovered Wood’ for the Mirboo North Timber Reclamation Group.
Some of our volunteer team that run the Mirboo North Times were there to award a total of $5,000 in grants and to hand out the certificates. Joy Koh, Treasurer, congratulated the recipients on the night, acknowledging that they all do an amazing job for our community.
“The Wednesday Warriors and the Friends of the Baths Road Reserve have spent endless hours restoring the beauty of these community spaces after the 2024 storm; the Timber Reclamation Group are milling storm recovered wood for community use; and the Mirboo North Arts continues to provide our community the opportunity to come together and relax which is so important as recovery continues,” Joy explained.
The importance of the Mirboo North Times as a community organisation was also acknowledged on the night by Ruth Rogan, Executive Officer
“Not only does Mirboo North Times keep the community up to date, it also connects new and existing residents.”
“All of this is done by volunteers on a financially sound business model, so that the profits arising not only sustain the community paper but they help strengthen the community.”
A Perpetual Legacy: Local Paper’s Profits Reinvested Back Into the Community
The Mirboo North Times Sub-fund was set up last year to secure the value of 29 years of volunteer effort, for future community benefit as a perpetual fund. This means the $179,000 is invested and the earnings spent in support of community led projects, so that the capital will continue to support grants for years to come.
This Grants round is the first example of the earnings going back into the community. From Jan 2024 – June 2024 the Mirboo North Times Sub fund of $179,000 earned almost $5,000. In discussion with the MN Times team, it was decided that the earnings should support recovery which is on-going in this community.
The Mirboo North Times recovery grants round was opened in April. After the Community Foundation’s assessment process which involved the MN Times, four grants were recommended to the Board for approval and then announced last week.
We look forward to seeing what the Mirboo North Times Sub fund will be able to support the community with in 2026.