2015 Grants

In 2015 a total of $771,000 was awarded to 39 organisations through the 2015 Grant Round and Schools in Philanthropy Program, as well as through Scholarships, the Back to School Program and the Adroit Golf Day grant.

Family Support

YMCA Geelong
With the role of father changing to one involving more “hands on” parenting, the “Lads and Dads Program”, funded by a $12,100 grant, aims to enhance the relationship of fathers with their children.

Heart Kids Victoria
The HeartKids “Family Support Program” is a targeted service assisting families of children with heart disease. A $3,500 grant will assist local families to keep in touch with others for support and
understanding.

Geelong Food Relief Centre (GFRC)
The GFRC operates a very successful warehouse and Minimart in North Geelong. Welfare agencies have requested that a Minimart be established in Geelong City. Funding of $30,000 has assisted in establishing the Minimart at 1 Smythe Street.

Uniting Care Geelong (UCG)
UCG has moved to Grovedale and services Newcomb, Whittington and St Albans. Funding of $25,000 helps provide emergency relief such as food, clothing, bill assistance, education costs and assistance for the homeless.

Health Support

The Humour Foundation
The Foundation is supporting the work of the Clown Doctors with a grant of $9,900. The Clown Doctors program helps treat sick children in the Geelong Hospital with special medicine which is:
doses of fun, smiles and laughter.

Foundation 61
A grant of $8,000 will provide new gym equipment and development of a more comprehensive personal training plan to improve client’s physical wellbeing at this residential based drug and alcohol rehab centre.

Kids Plus Foundation

Funding of $23,000 will provide 12 babies with support from a new initiative aimed at supporting extremely premature babies who have been diagnosed with a high risk of neurological development delay. The symptoms of many are associated with cerebral palsy from diagnosed brain injury.

Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA)
The ABA provides consultation with trained breast feeding counsellors and a rental service for hospital-grade breast pumps across Barwon Region. Funding of $6,750 will upgrade 3 breast
pumps to ensure that mothers can access current technology that is cost-effective and is user-friendly.

Gateways Support Services Inc.
A grant of $32,500 will enable Gateways to development an activity workshop on a new property to provide clients with a disability, the opportunity to improve social skills, communication, self-esteem and nurture friendships.

Hope Bereavement
Funding of $7,500 will increase Hope’s capacity to provide free, qualified bereavement counselling and support to people affected by the death of an adult.

Read the Play Cricket
The “Read the Play” program addresses the mental health and wellbeing of young people with education sessions at their football/netball club. A grant of $18,000 will assist introduction of the program to 33 cricket clubs in the Geelong region.

Wesley Centre
The Wesley counselling program assists people marginalised by poverty and disadvantage. The aim is to restore their life, hope and joy. A grant of $7,000 enables the program to be provided at no cost to those in need of this service.

Youth Support and Advocacy Services (YSAS)
YSAS will expand capacity of its youth residential withdrawal unit in Geelong with a $30,000 grant. Therapy in an appropriate time frame alleviates pressure on families, the community plus the justice system, with wider implication for community wellbeing and safety. Two bedrooms for young people seeking residential withdrawal from alcohol and other drugs including ICE will be built. This addition increases capacity to service young people by 50% and significantly reduces waiting times. Ensuites offer appropriate space for mother and child residential support, as child care is often a significant barrier for young mothers seeking withdrawal assistance.

Training & Research

Life Saving Victoria Limited
LSV will offer Certificate IV in Training and Assessment to lifesaving volunteers in the Geelong Region. A grant of $24,500 will train 100 volunteers so that clubs build capacity to deliver water safety programs.

Deakin University
Research to identify potential drugs that can arrest pancreas decline and slow progression of type 2 diabetes in patients is planned at Deakin University. A grant of $32,000 will assist in identifying novel therapies for this disease which affects some 24,000 people in the Geelong region.

Youth Support

Independence Australia
IA’s “SpinChat” program reaches thousands of secondary school students with a powerful message about safe driving to avoid situations leading to irreversible spinal cord injury. A grant of $5,000
will enable delivery of free SpinChat sessions to schools across the Barwon Region.

Operation Newstart
This program helps at-risk 14-17 year olds reengage with schooling. A grant of $7,000 will help support a Youth Facilitator to develop and run a volunteer mentoring program to support
young people on their return to school. It will closely align student needs and goals throughout the program and provide improved professional networks.

Western Edge Youth Arts (WEYA)
Funding of $4,000 will allow WEYA to prepare and perform the “We are Geelong” community youth theatre/sculptural art project. The project celebrates cultural diversity and local identity. It links communities from North and East Geelong in exploring the nature of their city and their place within it. North Geelong SC, Geelong HS, Diversitat and Geelong Youth Services will combine 50 culturally diverse young people from disadvantaged communities in the project.

Lions Village Licola
Corio Bay Lions Club will use a grant of $8,000 to assist 40 young children from refugee families to attend a five day summer adventure camp at the Lions Licola Village during January 2016.
Mackillop Family Services With a $25,000 grant, Mackillop will present “The Food of Life – What Sustains Us?” program which works to enhance the sense of self-worth for young people aged 7 to 17 who are disengaged from education, have experienced trauma and have social and/or emotional disabilities.

Whitelion
The “Live and Learn” program is working with 30 young people whoare transitioning from out of home care with the aim of establishing successful long term employment outcomes. A grant of $15,000 will allow completion of the 2015 program.

Barwon Youth
The Street Surfer Bus is a mobile youth resource centre. Counsellors provide early intervention for young people in their own environment by creating a safe space for information, recreation, socialisation, counselling and referral. Funding of $35,000 will provide a driver so that the bus can travel to locations where young people may potentially be involved in risk taking.

Education Support

Geelong Performing Arts Centre
A grant of $8,000 will give 720 Northern Bay College students from prep to grade 5, access to GPAC to experience professional performing arts theatre including music and plays.

Time Help
With a $4,400 grant, Time Help will recruit 70 volunteers (mainly retirees) to connect two generations for education and wellbeing. There will be 5,000 hours of classroom and learning support for 250 students across 17 primary and secondary schools in our region. This “in school” support strengthens the life skills, academic and social outcomes of the students.

Bethany Community Support
The “Early Connections” project is an early intervention program designed for parents, their babies and children aged from birth to five years of age. A grant of $35,000 continues the Foundations
support for this innovative program which engages with significantly disadvantaged and socially isolated families to improve developmental outcomes for the children and strengthen the capacity
and community connection of the parents.

Bravehearts
This organisation is dedicated to prevention of child sexual assault. A grant of $15,000 will assist the Geelong Education Team to deliver their personal safety program to 2,300 kindergarten and primary school children. Parents and teachers are included with all working together to educate the young from 3-8 years and empower them to speak up and protect themselves from sexual harm.

Heritage & Arts Support

Queenscliffe Historical Museum
The Museum is run by volunteers and it records and celebrates individual and community identity.A grant of $4,600 will assist with landscaping the Museum forecourt to create a welcoming community space.

Somebody’s Daughter Theatre Company
A grant of $20,000 will develop a production titled “Care Full”. An intensive creative/education program will capture experiences and knowledge of vulnerable young people and those of their carers. This new work will premiere at the Courthouse Youth Arts Centre in November. Those who create, develop and perform are young people who are at risk, disengaged, have been or are in care in our region.

Lorne Community Arts Festival
This Festival brings a unique arts experience to Great Ocean Road and hinterland communities. A Foundation grant of $8,000 has enabled Djuki Mala indigenous dance troupe to perform and lead interactive workshops for isolated and disadvantaged school children to foster open mindedness, creative arts exploration and an inclusive attitude to life.

Aged Support

Cherished Pets Foundation (CPF)
A team of veterinary and aged care/disability professionals in Ocean Grove will deliver a Community Pet Care Pilot Project (CPCPP) with a grant of $10,000 plus a grant from Equity Trustees. CPF exists to support the human/animal bond and aims to connect communities through pets. The CPCPP will provide in-home pet care support to elderly and disabled pet owners living independently.

Diversitat
A grant of $35,000 will help develop a “Healthy Living Centre” to provide accessible and responsive services that assist our older/ageing culturally diverse community groups to remain healthy, independent and engaged. The Centre will also provide linkages for newly arrived migrant groups.

St Laurence Community Services
The “Independent Lives Program” received a grant of $20,000 to assist NDIA funded clients to move into independent living accommodation. It will support these people with disabilities by giving life transition and independent living skills, NDIA links and tenancy housing training.

Lorne Mens Shed
Mens Sheds promote social interaction and reduce depression related illnesses in older men. Some sheds involve women and school leavers who cannot find work. A grant of $15,000 will assist with building a Men’s Shed at Lorne.

Community Wellbring

Drysdale Food Support Inc.
A $5,500 grant will start development of a Community Garden at Drysdale. The garden will contribute food to the Drysdale Food Bank and serve as a meeting point for cultural activities such as art and music.

Urban Seed
Urban Seed works to combat intergenerational poverty and poor health in our northern suburbs. Funding of $30,000 will support the Monday evening and Wednesday lunchtime community meals which are central to the program which improves health, food security and grows social capital.

Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO)
Deakin University and AFDO will provide intensive support to small and medium businesses to increase their confidence to employ people with a disability. Funding of $5,000 grant will provide a series of business breakfasts to promote the program with potential employers.

Bluebird Foundation
Athena’s Guild is a community based, health & arts project. Professional musicians/song writers join with musicians who are diagnosed with a mental disability. A grant of $14,500 will assist the
mentees to develop their skills and become successful artists in their own right.

Geelong Mums
This new organisation for Geelong collects and distributes new and preloved baby and children’s equipment to disadvantaged families via community social workers and maternal health
nurses. Funding of $15,000 will assist employment of a part time staff member to manage some 250 Geelong Mums volunteers.

Samaritan House
Samaritan House is for homeless men. Their re-housing has a very good success rate. Expansion for 13 men overnight from the existing 4, means the house requires a person to assist with support for and networking with the re housed men. A grant of $35,000 will provide this support through a Linkage Outreach Worker.

Scholarships

$9,000 was granted for the 2015 Gordon Technical College Scholarships program.

Back to School Vouchers

$42,850 was granted for the FRRR/Sydney Myer “Back to School Program” for Target Australia vouchers. These were distributed to local schools.

Adroit Golf Day

$40,000  was granted to Karingal from the proceeds of the 2014 Adroit Golf Day.

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