To fully understand the significant challenges the Community Services sector (Illawarra/Shoalhaven/Southern NSW) is currently facing, Community Industry Group is conducting a ‘Temperature Check’ (key issue survey) to find out what issues are most concerning to you/your organisation/community and what supports may be needed.
The survey can be found using the link below…
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PGSLPGJ
Any concerns, please call Chris Racar at CIG on 42 56 4333
Our next Book Fair will be running from Thursday, 20th to Sunday 23rd at the Illawarra Sports Stadium, Berkeley.
BOOKLOVERS EARLY BIRD OPENING
On Thursday, 20th October at 5pm, access is restricted to subscribers of our Book Lovers List.
Admission to the VIP opening night is $10, ensuring you get the first chance to peruse and purchase what’s on offer.
OPENING HOURS
Thursday, 20 October – 5:00pm – 9:00pm (VIP Opening Night)
Friday, 21 October – 9:00am to 5:00pm
Saturday, 22 October – 9:00am to 5:00pm
Sunday, 23 October – 9:00am to 4:00pm
Sign up to our Book Lovers List for access to Opening Night.
CATEGORIES
The books are divided into over 50 categories including:
Children’s, fiction (paperback, hardcover, romance, science fiction, fantasy, horror), hobbies (cooking, gardening, sport), sciences (science, economics, education), arts (biographies, history, Australiana, travel, religion, psychology) and old books such as old and interested or something special.
DONATING BOOKS
We would love to accept your preloved books at the event from Thursday – Sunday. There will be a donation tent located outside the building.
ALL PROCEEDS TO LIFELINE
Lifeline South Coast’s Big Book Fair is the largest second-hand book sale in NSW and the biggest fundraising event that supports Lifeline South Coast’s crisis support and suicide prevention services in the Illawarra and South Coast.
Further information:
Thank you for your ongoing support of Lifeline’s Book Fairs, every purchase helps Lifeline continue to provide crisis support and suicide prevention services to the local community.
The IMB Bank Community Foundation is currently offering grant funding to community groups and charities – big and small – with applications open until 30th June 2022.
Since 1999, IMB Bank’s Community Foundation has allocated $11 million in funding to a diverse range of community groups including school, sporting, charity and volunteer organisations, with an overarching goal of improving outcomes for our local communities and the people living in them.
Grants have previously been allocated as seed funding to get a great idea off the ground, or as the means to expand an existing community project.
Community groups should visit https://www.imb.com.au/community to apply.
More about the IMB Bank Community Foundation can be found here.
My name is Jess Eggins, I am the Project Officer for the disability sector in the Community and Industry Engagement team from the NSW government.
I work in the Better Regulation Division (BRD) where we work across the regulatory bodies – including NSW Fair Trading and SafeWork NSW. Our focus is to reduce community harms for the consumer, and in the workplace.
I am writing to invite you to be part of the Community Voice network (CV-net). The aim is to reduce community harms, particularly those that are prominent in our most vulnerable communities, including people from multicultural backgrounds, people with disabilities, youth and Aboriginal communities.
This is beneficial so BRD can hear of the issues occurring from the community directly and we would also like to offer to be the local issues or escalation point to connect with the regulators if needed.
Through the CV-net we want to work with you to identify existing and emerging harms and develop workable solutions. Together we will broaden the reach of BRD harm minimisation programs and campaigns to educate and protect communities. The network will improve pathways for community feedback, and participation in the regulatory process.
Network membership for community groups and intermediaries is offered at two levels:
Members are encouraged to take part in polls, surveys, submissions etc, and to inform BRD of any risks or harms emerging in their sector.
To take part in this initiative please refer to the Terms of Reference and Fact Sheet attached.
The sign up process takes about 5 minutes of your time, there is no cost involved and you can find the membership form here.
Please feel free to share the information within your network and other organisations you think would find the Community Voice Network beneficial especially organisations working with our multicultural communities, people with disabilities, youth and Aboriginal communities.
I can be contacted on (02) 9566 8665, return email or at jessica.eggins@customerservice.nsw.gov.au
Funding available for COVID Community Resilience Building
The NSW Government has partnered with FRRR to create the Resilience NSW COVID Regional Community Support (CRCS) program.
It is specifically designed to support eligible not-for-profit organisations, community groups, and associated volunteer-based organisations that responded to the impacts of COVID, including supporting community members affected by COVID isolation health orders with food and personal care delivery efforts. Groups must be based within NSW but outside the Sydney metropolitan area.
The aim of the program is to build resilience within communities to boost their preparedness for future impacts of COVID and other disasters. The Capacity Building Grants can support community projects that increase the capacity of community groups that are likely to:
Applications for these Capacity Building grants are now being accepted and close 29 April 2022. Recipients will be announced in July 2022. There is more information about the program on FRRR’s website, including details about eligibility and what can be funded.
If your group isn’t eligible, but you know a group that might be, please feel free to pass on this email. Of course, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact FRRR on 1800 324 85 or at nsw.hamper@frrr.org.au.
The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) is a lump sum payment to help if someone has been significantly affected by a disaster in a declared Local Government Area (LGA).
Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA) is a short term payment to help you if a disaster directly affects your income in a declared LGA.
There’s versions of both DRP and DRA for New Zealanders adversely affected by this emergency event.
More Local Government Areas (LGAs) may be declared eligible for these payments in the coming days. For up-to-date information, visit servicesaustralia.gov.au/disaster
Please find attached two factsheets for AGRDP and DRA that can be provided to customers and community groups.
The NSW Government is calling on sporting organisations to step up and serve some ace ideas for delivering mental health and wellbeing activities as part of a $2.8 million Mental Health Sports program.
Minister for Mental Health Bronnie Taylor said clubs can apply for grants of up to $150,000 from now until 6 March 2022 for activities that provide mental health, resilience and wellbeing benefits to individuals and groups across the State.
“As part of our COVID-19 mental health recovery package, we’re looking to our sporting clubs to inspire people to make their mental health and wellbeing a top priority in 2022,” Mrs Taylor said.
“These grants are intended to take conversations about mental health out of the clinic and into the clubhouse. We want people talking about how they’re going emotionally and mentally in a setting they are comfortable with.
“As well as being a fun recreational activity, exercise in almost any form can act as a stress reliever. Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins, distract from daily worries and is a great way to meet new friends or catch up with old ones, making it a fantastic remedy for maintaining a healthy mind and lifestyle.”
All NSW-based sports bodies are encouraged to apply, with the aim of ensuring a spread of funding and projects across the State. Grants will be available to clubs supporting both general populations and the following priority populations:
Minister for Sport Stuart Ayres said the program builds on the success of the $1.1 million Mental Health Sport Fund in 2019-20.
“After a very tough two years we want to see people kicking goals both on and off the field and these sporting grants are a great way to do just that,” Mr Ayres said.
“Sporting clubs and associations are at the heart of local communities, helping to forge
strong community ties and a strong sense of place. It makes sense they’re our partners in getting the mental health of NSW back on track.”
The $2.8 million NSW Mental Health Sports Fund is part of the $130 million COVID-19 mental health recovery package announced in October 2021.
To start your application, please visit: https://bit.ly/34HgU1f
Many regional community groups, not-for-profit organisations and other locally-based community health groups in regional NSW played a critical role in supporting their communities to navigate the impacts of COVID by delivering food and personal care hampers. In some cases, these groups are out of pocket from delivering those hampers.
Recognising this, the NSW Government has partnered with FRRR to create the Resilience NSW COVID Regional Community Support (CRCS) program. It is designed to support eligible not-for-profit organisations, community groups and associated volunteer-based organisations based in NSW, but outside the Sydney metropolitan area, that incurred expenses in delivering food and personal care items to individuals and families affected by COVID lockdowns.
The program will offer a contribution towards reimbursing expenses for eligible organisations, while a second stream (opening in March) will help build resilience within their communities to mitigate future pandemic events.
Applications for reimbursement open 31 January, and close 1 March.
Funds will be dispersed by the end of April.
Find out more about whether your group could be eligible. Applications close 1 March, 2022.
Visit: www.frrr.org.au/ResNSW-COVID-Support.
Any questions should be directed to FRRR on 1800 170 020 or email NSW.hamper@frrr.org.au.
Afghan-Australian Community & Settlement Support grant program is now open!
The Afghan-Australian Community and Settlement Support grant program supports Afghan-Australian and other community and grassroot organisations undertaking critical work to welcome and support people recently evacuated from Afghanistan.
Through an open competitive process, the program provides grants to organisations to facilitate positive settlement outcomes for newly arrived Afghan people.
Two grant rounds will be held between November 2021 and June 2023. Grant round one is now open, and applications close on Thursday, 23 December 2021.
Join us at one of our information sessions as we answer questions about the application process, deadlines, and assessment criteria.
Click on the links below to register for one of the information sessions at the following dates and times :
December 7, 12:30 PM AEDT
December 14, 5:00 PM AEDT
Format: Virtual Zoom Meeting
Applications will be accepted via an online submission form on Afghan-Australia Community & Settlement Support website.
To apply or for more information on the program, please visit: https://www.aacassgrants.org.au
The grant program is administered by Migration Council Australia.
The Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) has opened the Social Sector Support Fund’s Open Applications grants.
What is this grant for?
This grant is to help charities and not-for-profits (NFPs) to remain viable and meet increased demand for their services during COVID-19 outbreaks and recovery.
It’s open to all registered charities and NFPs that deliver services in the social, health, disability and animal welfare sectors in NSW.
How can the payment be used?
The funds must be used for services your organisation would normally deliver to clients and communities in NSW.
Read the grant guidelines on our website.
How much is the grant payment and when will it be paid?
You’re able to nominate the amount your organisation requires.
We expect grant payments to be expended by 30 April 2022.
If your organisation applies and is confirmed eligible for the grant, we’ll issue a Funding Deed. Once you sign the deed we’ll make the grant payment to you.
How to apply for this grant
We’ve aimed to make the process of applying for this grant as straightforward as possible for your organisation, and based it on eligibility criteria. It’s not a competitive tender.
Your organisation is required to complete a form in SmartyGrants, confirming you’re able to meet the eligibility criteria and other requirements outlined in the grant guidelines.
You’re not required to submit a proposal or budget. The grant guidelines outline how DCJ will assess your application.
Even if your organisation registered interest for a Support Fund grant, you’re still required to formally apply for an Open Applications grant. The registration process wasn’t an offer of funding.
While you’re required to answer similar questions, the application requires you to provide more information and, in some cases, evidence to support your answers.
Apply for the grant and confirm your eligibility ®
You have until 11:59pm Sunday 28 November 2021 to apply.
Attend the online forum – mark the date in your calendar
We’ll be holding an online forum to go through the guidelines and grant process with you, as well as give you the opportunity to ask questions. In addition, we’ll explain this grant in relation to other Support Fund grant streams, JobSaver, and the other government assistance that’s been available to charities and NFPs.
The 1-hour forum will be held at 12pm on Thursday 11 November 2021. Save the link to join the forum in your calendar.
Use this link to join the forum
Spread the word
Please promote this grant and forward this email to other organisations you think may be interested. We want to ensure the funds get to where they’re needed.
If you have any questions, please contact the Social Sector Support Fund mailbox.
The Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) has opened the Social Sector Support Fund’s Open Applications grants.
What is this grant for?
This grant is to help charities and not-for-profits (NFPs) to remain viable and meet increased demand for their services during COVID-19 outbreaks and recovery.
It’s open to all registered charities and NFPs that deliver services in the social, health, disability and animal welfare sectors in NSW.
How can the payment be used?
The funds must be used for services your organisation would normally deliver to clients and communities in NSW.
Read the grant guidelines on our website.
How much is the grant payment and when will it be paid?
You’re able to nominate the amount your organisation requires.
We expect grant payments to be expended by 30 April 2022.
If your organisation applies and is confirmed eligible for the grant, we’ll issue a Funding Deed. Once you sign the deed we’ll make the grant payment to you.
How to apply for this grant
We’ve aimed to make the process of applying for this grant as straightforward as possible for your organisation, and based it on eligibility criteria. It’s not a competitive tender.
Your organisation is required to complete a form in SmartyGrants, confirming you’re able to meet the eligibility criteria and other requirements outlined in the grant guidelines.
You’re not required to submit a proposal or budget. The grant guidelines outline how DCJ will assess your application.
Even if your organisation registered interest for a Support Fund grant, you’re still required to formally apply for an Open Applications grant. The registration process wasn’t an offer of funding.
While you’re required to answer similar questions, the application requires you to provide more information and, in some cases, evidence to support your answers.
Illawarra Interagency 