Community Grants

Reforest Now

A non-profit organisation based in Byron Bay, Reforest Now grows and plants trees to combat climate change and restore ecosystems. The Reforest Now nursery is located in the Mullumbimby Community Gardens, and grows 23,000 native Australian trees each year. The nursery is currently at maximum capacity with three tunnels, and Reforest Now will use our Community Grant to build a 4^th misting house tunnel, that will increase their capacity by 100% (an additional 23,000 trees per year) to help meet the growing demand for trees to be replanted in our region.

Shedding Community Workshop

Shedding Community Workshop aims to provide a unique, supportive and ‘hands-on’ workshop environment for members of the community to come together and develop sustainable skills in carpentry, building and everything in between. A popular community workshop pilot already, this Community Grant will be used to meet the growing demand for, and provide equitable access to, a range of up-skilling workshops, inclusively benefitting all members of our community – young and old, men and women, parents and families. Our $5,000 will provide an additional 20 free community workshops, every Friday for a 5 month period, where members of our community will learn life skills, that will help create a connected, resilient and sustainable community

The S.H.I.F.T. Project

The SHIFT Kitchen at Bangalow Heritage House is a community initiative that supports women experiencing homelessness and disadvantage in the Byron Shire. It aims to increase the health and wellbeing of women by increasing their knowledge and skills in healthy cooking, and increasing their employability. Our Community Grant will introduce a hospitality employment path that will provide professional training for project participants, including Food Safety Supervisor courses and Barista Training courses, along with the equipment to provide them skills to return to the workforce.

Fergus and Delilah

Author Erin Knutt and Illustrator Misa Alexander along with an Auslan Interpreter, will be using the children’s book ‘Fergus & Delilah’ to teach about differences, disabilities and diversity to students of local primary schools. Children will be encouraged to think about the different people they know in their lives, what makes them different, what makes them special. The session will have students thinking (and dancing) differently, brainstorming about disability and working together to create stories and pictures of inclusion and belonging for all children. Schools will receive a copy of the Fergus & Delilah book along with teaching resources, a Fergus Doll and Inclusion diary to use to promote inclusion.

Tweed District Rescue Squad

Tweed District Rescue Squad (TDRS) has seen a significant increase in rescues from Mt Wollumbin since the 2017 floods. The track has degraded in such a way that many climbers are suffering leg, and ankle related trauma. TDRS will be using their Community Grant to buy a Ferno Mule, which will allow their crew to wheel patients off the mountain.

The Breakfast Club

1 in 7 students in Australia arrives at school without breakfast. There’s more than 50 years of scientific evidence supporting the role of breakfast and better brain function in children, with the latest science linking breakfast with improved numeracy and literacy skills. The Ballina Public School Breakfast Club provides breakfast to between 50-100 students every weekday of term with many of their students coming from low income families, including families currently residing in temporary accommodation. Alongside other local donations, their Community Grant will enable the Breakfast Club to provide food for the next two years

Art and culture

Initiatives related to the celebration, preservation or ongoing impact of arts, cultural and heritage projects in the Northern Rivers and Tweed region. Example projects may include equipment, services and/or facilities such as community arts projects, restoration of items or areas with historical or cultural significance, performances.

Education

Initiatives that support imparting information or knowledge, skill sharing or improve delivery of teaching and education services. Example projects may include equipment, services and/or facilities such as teaching aides and resources, reading programs, creating access and opportunities to engage in education.

Sport and recreation

Initiatives providing sport and recreational benefit to the wider community. Example projects may include equipment, services and/or facilities such as shade for events, sporting equipment, uniforms, upgrading facilities, first aid equipment, tournaments, and training programs.

Environment

Initiatives that focus on building awareness, preservation, engagement with and/or sustainability of the natural environment. Example projects may include equipment, services and/or facilities such as community gardens, sustainability education, restoration or care of ecosystems.

Health and well-being

Improving community access to health and well-being services. Example projects may include equipment, services and/or facilities for youth groups, mentoring programs, community health services, health education, training and development programs.

Through our Community Grants program, we provide support to organisations, community groups and teams.  Unfortunately we do not support the following through this program:

• Individual pursuits such as travel to participate in sporting events or ongoing medical treatment
• Events or organisations involved in commercial activities
• Events where another financial institution, bank or insurance competitor are a sponsor
• Programs that could be detrimental to public health or safety, discriminatory, or offensive to the community
• Projects of a political or religious nature
• Events that encourage smoking, substance abuse, irresponsible alcohol consumption or gambling
• Organisations and events outside our geographical footprint
• Expeditions or travel outside SCCU’s footprint or overseas

Through our Community Grants Program we provide 3 x $5,000 Grants for successful applicants. During the application, it’s expected you’ll be able to explain how the funding would be used should you be successful.

We aim to make the application process simple and give every applicant an equal opportunity to produce a quality application. The application form is a critical part of our evaluation process which we use to measure your application against our selection criteria, so we encourage you to complete the form carefully and answer all questions.

All applications will be reviewed after the closing date with all applications that meet the eligibility criteria considered. All eligible applicants will be advised via email of the outcome of their application after the successful recipients have been determined.

If your application is successful, we will contact you to award funding and discuss ongoing engagement. If your application is unsuccessful we encourage you to reapply next year, as well as consider applying for one of our Community Partnerships or Community Reward Programs.