Strengthening Local Community Groups with the EMRC Grant Program

Published on Wednesday, 15 November 2023 at 8:16:00 AM

The Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council (EMRC) has been proudly supporting neighbouring community projects and programs in the Red Hill area through grants of up to $3,000 for projects that provide direct benefits to the local community and/or environment.

This year the EMRC extended the pool of available funds to be able to award all eligible projects in the area, resulting in awarding seven community groups a total of $16,900 for various projects that benefit environmental, social and cultural outcomes.

The EMRC CEO, Marcus Geisler, congratulated representatives from the successful community groups.

Marcus said, ‘The EMRC is an active supporter of community projects benefiting the Gidgegannup, Hovea, Parkerville, and Stoneville areas. We are proud of the long-standing support and relationship with the communities in the vicinity of our Red Hill Waste Management Facility. These groups are all passionate, committed supporters of their local communities and it is fantastic to be able to contribute to and aid these activities.

“Seeing the appreciation and hearing the wonderful ways these grants can benefit the community is very inspiring,” said Mr Geisler.

The grant winners were awarded for the following projects:

The Parkerville Community Band provides an open and enjoyable music outlet for inexperienced and rusty players, of any age, in Parkerville and the surrounding suburbs. The grant has been used to help the community group to purchase vital band equipment such as music stands as well as second hand equipment for members who may like to join the band but may not have the equipment. The purchase of second had instruments is a great sustainability initiative and will create opportunity for community members to join. 

The Gidgegannup Basketball Club provides children and families the opportunity to participate in the game of basketball at all skill levels in a family-friendly atmosphere while instilling the values of teamwork, discipline, respect, sportsmanship, and community. The grant will be used to purchase team singlets to accommodate for growing members and to purchase a club honour board to commemorate 30 years of history. It will also encourage the Act, Belong, Commit message in the local community.  

The Gidgegannup Scout Group have been providing the youth of the Gidgegannup and surrounding areas with educational & developmental opportunities following the scouting ethos for over 25 years. They have created a friendly group which involves youths, families, and adults in the Gidgegannup region. The grant will help the club to upgrade their camping and hiking equipment to aid their activities and provide safety and resources for everyone to share.

Junior Football Club Gidgegannup provides kids of all ages from the surrounding community with a safe, fun and inclusive environment to participate in Australian Rules Football, make new friends and develop a sense of social and community value. The Gidgegannup Junior Football Club continues to enjoy positive growth in participation rates, and as such, needs to invest in additional equipment that is necessary to deliver its training and competition activities in line with the WAFC / AFL expectations. The grant funding will help Gidgegannup Junior Football Club purchase new equipment, which will help aid the development of our junior Bulldogs.

Men’s Shed Gidgegannup Gidgegannup Men’s Shed (GMS) was set up after the Wooroloo bushfires in 2021 to assist in the recovery process of the community.  The aim of GMS is to provide training and opportunity for members to work on projects targeted to reflect their lifestyle, as well as to share time, recreation, and fellowship with other members. 

GMS provides a space where the community can interact while working on practical skills such as woodworking, welding, timber milling, and mosaics in a less structured environment.  This helps support the wellbeing and mental health of members and allows them the opportunity to talk to people in similar circumstances.The grant funding will help the GMS fund a course to be led by local artist, Jan Pitman, who is an accredited teacher, and will run for 10 weeks.  The focus will be on beginners who wish to explore their creativity, or those looking to explore the use of art to relieve stress. 

Parkerville Playgroup provides a safe, welcoming, dedicated, indoor and outdoor play area for babies and young children and their grown-ups. Our families find support, learning and friendship, and have access to types of play, equipment and development opportunities that are not available elsewhere in their lives.The funding will be used to help purchase items of light (sensory elements) and paint play equipment for the benefit of all the member families. Young members will use this for art and craft activities, sensory play, exploration of transparency, translucency, colour, and shape. These types of resources will help to build connections and development in children aiding their abilities.

Roar Inc program teaches young people to enjoy physical exercise and to develop a positive active mindset so they can overcome any obstacle. Roar teach young people to view the world with a mindset of optimism and positivity, to know that no feeling is final, and to truly understand that exercise and connection to community are the pathways to better mental health.

ROAR Inc will be provided with funding to design and develop a website for the organisations future ongoing use.  The current website does not have the capacity to take registrations. There are currently 274 young people enrolled in the program and the site will be needed to process registrations and become an online portal for young people to login, connect and share their journeys.

For more information on EMRC’s Community Grants Program please visit https://www.emrc.org.au/

 

 

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