FRRR has awarded $414,927 in grants to 12 community groups and local not-for-profits through its Grants for Resilience & Wellness (GR&W) Kinglake program.

This program is designed to provide communities in the Kinglake Ranges area with the resources they need to reconnect and recover from the long-term impacts of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.

The grants are possible thanks to the Victorian Bushfire Fund Appeal and funds that were raised by the general public following the bushfires 13 years ago. To date, 44 projects have shared in $1,297,840 in grants through the GR&W Kinglake program, which is now in its fourth year.

The grants being awarded in this round range from $4,000 to $120,749. The initiatives being funded focus largely on boosting community connectedness through upgrading community facilities and infrastructure that will make community amenities more accessible and undertaking cultural activities.

“Thirteen years on from the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, the community groups of Kinglake Ranges are still as determined as ever to build back better and bring people together, which is so crucial for the long-term recovery of areas that have been impacted by natural disasters,” said Nina O’Brien, Disaster and Recovery Lead at FRRR.

O’Brien shared that it’s important that the people in these communities have the facilities and amenities to come together as a community.

“Despite the fact that so many years have passed, the people living in these communities have a shared experiences that make them uniquely qualified to understand what the region needs in order to continue moving forward and building their capacity for the future.

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“In this round of applications, we saw that community members still need places where they can come together, connect and share stories, whether that be at a community hub, a workshop, a historical centre, a BMX track for kids or a youth space. That sense of community is what enables these disaster-impacted places to continue growing stronger,” Ms O’Brien said.

Some of the projects funded in this round include:

• Flowerdale Community House Inc – $17,139 – Flowerdale – Foster community connectedness and enhance disaster preparedness by upgrading facilities at a key community hub.
• Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House Inc – $53,604.10 – Kinglake – Strengthen community connectedness and sense of place through the inclusion of First Nations artwork on the Dindi Arts Trail.
• Kinglake West Mechanics Institute and Reserves Committee Inc – $21,320 – Kinglake West – Strengthen community connectedness to local history and place by installing a disability access ramp at Kinglake West Historical Centre.
• Toolangi District Community House Inc – $60,844 – Toolangi – Foster broad community participation and wellbeing through upgrading a community hub.

FRRR will continue to work closely with the community to allocate the remainder of the funding available in line with the program’s intent. The full list of grant recipients can be found on FRRR’s website.

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