Council has awarded a total of $497,659 to 131 different community groups in the first round of its 2019-20 grants program.
The funding has been spread across the region and will be used to support a wide variety of projects and interests.
Grants will go towards arts projects and festivals, equipment purchases, community projects, environmental initiatives and heritage restorations. The vast majority have been given to groups, clubs and organisations run by volunteers.
Recipients include the Barwon Heads Arts Council, whose $6000 grant will support the Bellarine Arts Trail 2020, and the Geelong Jukebox Rockers, who'll use a $4000 grant to help stage a three-day Summer Rock Festival.
The Geelong Museum of Motoring and Industry have been awarded $6000 to rebuild a 1961 Ford Anglia 'Harry Potter car' with students from Western Heights Secondary College.
The Indented Head Yacht Club will put its $2000 grant towards a beach trolley to move boats, while the North Geelong Warriors Football Club receive $2000 to buy equipment for its all abilities team.
Ocean Grove Community Association will use a $6000 grant to establish and promote a solar and battery bulk buy, while the Waurn Ponds Community Garden will build four machines to recycle plastics.
All applications were assessed by an independent panel, and unsuccessful applicants will be given an opportunity to receive feedback.
The bulk of this financial year's grants funding is still to be awarded, with applications for a total of $3 million in infrastructure grants and $300,000 for community events now being assessed.
It's expected the recipients of these grants will be announced towards the end of this month. There will also be a second round of applications later in 2019-20 to award any leftover funds.
A full list of recipients is available here.
Mayor Stephanie Asher:
The grants program is one of the most direct and effective ways for the council to make a genuine difference in the community.We're excited to award the first round of this year's grants to such a varied list of groups, who come from across the region and represent a wide range of interests.
Congratulations to all recipients and we look forward to announcing our next round very soon, including our major infrastructure grants of up to $350,000.
Councillor Pat Murnane, Chair, Finance portfolio:
Thanks and congratulations to the community groups who have applied for these grants. The value of the council's investment is compounded many times over by the volunteers who put in hours of hard work to make the projects come to life.The benefits of these grants will be felt by communities across the region and there is something for all interests.
We will have a second round of grants, so we encourage any volunteer group or organisation in need of funding to check the guidelines and see if you are eligible to apply.
