Eleven local groups shared in almost $46,000 in funding at the Tomorrow Today Community Grants presentation ceremony last Thursday afternoon.
Every year Tomorrow Today awards grants of up to $5,000 for projects that build a stronger, more connected community or improve the social or educational outcomes for Benalla’s young people. Tomorrow Today Board Chair, Louise Pearce, explained further; “Our grants program is all about building the capacity of our community. Awarding these grants is a highlight of our year and is the reason we make such an effort to raise money for our Community Fund. I’d like to thank all our donors, we are so grateful for their generosity. The money donated to the Fund is invested so that we can use the income generated to make the annual grants year after year.”
The 11 community projects funded for 2024 are:
- Centre Against Violence – “Wellbeing Workshops”: for the delivery of a series of five free workshops to provide practical tools and resources on topics like financial empowerment, parenting support, art therapy, legal guidance, mindfulness, and meditation. The workshops are open to anyone residing in the Benalla Local Government Area.
- St Joseph’s Primary School – “Cooking to Connect Garden”: for the construction of a vegetable garden as part of the ‘Cooking to Connect’ program which provides a hands-on and engaging learning environment for students and fosters a deeper understanding of nature, biology and nutrition.
- Molyullah Playgroup & Recreation Reserve – “Picnic Tables”: to purchase and install two permanent picnic tables near the recently built children’s playground at the Molyullah Recreation Reserve. The tables will provide a meeting place for the playgroup as well many other community activities including CFA training nights, monthly community fish and chips night, Australia Day celebrations and Molyullah Easter Sports event.
- FCJ Benalla – “Let’s Find Our Voice”: funding for a concert and associated film of a 100 people community choir, to be held at the school in June. The project improves well-being by connecting participants across the age spectrum.
- Benalla Scouts – “Prepare for Adventure”: Funding for the acquisition of essential equipment for group activities, including portable steel fire pits, a camp chef 3 burner cooker, and handheld GPS devices. The equipment helps educate the Scouts in cooking, fire safety and navigation.
- Rotary Club of Benalla – “Portsea Youth Camp”: Funds will support 25-30 children aged 10-12 years from Benalla families experiencing disadvantage, to attend the Portsea Youth Camp in 2025. The camp provides the children with an experience they may otherwise miss out on.
- Ride Avenue Kindergarten – “Outdoor Educational Enrichment”: Funds will be used to purchase new equipment designed to promote physical and emotional development among children attending the kindergarten.
- Benalla Girl Guides – “STEM Resources”: For the purchase of STEM resources that provide engaging activities based on the principles of engineering, circuits, gears, voltage and switches and coding.
- Room At The Table (RaTT)– “Studio Training Project”: Funding to train up to 12 young people in the use of studio equipment for video, podcast, vlog and live-streaming. This training builds skills and aspiration for program participants. The program will be open to RaTT members and the wider Benalla community.
- Goorambat and District Community Group – “Sensory Playground Equipment”: Funds will be used to expand the playground near the Goorambat Hall to be more inclusive for all abilities, with the purchase of new pieces of sensory equipment.
- Waminda Community House – “Waminda Dancers and Voices”: Funds will support ‘Waminda Dancers’ and ‘Waminda Voices’ performing arts programs which are designed for children aged 6-16. Participants in the program aim to hold an end of year performance showcasing their talent and hard work.
Tomorrow Today Board Member, Marsha Watson praised the successful applicants; “Congratulations to all our grant recipients for the time they have taken to not only put the project and applications together, but for the contribution they make to see our community thrive.”
All the recipients expressed how grateful they were for the funding they received. Justine Nicholls from Molyullah Playgroup shared what the grant means for them: “These tables will not only allow the playgroup to gather near the new playground and do craft and other activities, but it will also be used by the wider Molyullah community. We’re extremely grateful to Tomorrow Today for this funding, a huge thank you to the whole team at Tomorrow Today, not only for this generous grant but for the amazing work that you do for the Benalla community.”
Jodie Fleming, Tomorrow Today Executive Officer closed proceedings; “What a wonderful group of wide-ranging and exciting projects that are sure to bring significant benefits to our community and make positive impacts. We can’t wait to see and hear about the initiatives as they unfold.”