Our 2022 SCCU Community Grants recipients have been awarded!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the program, and congratulations to our top 3.

Keep an eye on our socials to follow the projects over the next 12 months.

Meet our 2022 Community Grants recipients

wardellcore - a student-focused educational platform designed to cater to the needs of students, promoting a student-centered learning environment

 

With over 200 visitors per week, the grant will replenish the Wardell flood recovery centre with fresh produce, build community resilience, and expand their holistic approach to disaster recovery by nurturing wellbeing through a therapeutic horticulture program. The funds will purchase equipment to start a series of home gardens, a community garden, facilitate workshops and build a gardening community.

Relatively new, WardellCORE has emerged from the February/March flood disaster to service the needs of Wardell and the surrounding districts. Their mission is to improve people’s lives beyond the point of disaster recovery and to support the community to create a shared vision for the future. WardellCORE continues to provide access to essential goods, food, clothing, bedding, internet access, toilet/shower/laundry facilities, links to services, mental health support and counselling, meals, volunteer management, advisory services, resources and active recovery support to the Wardell community and neighbouring districts. This project will see an ongoing food source generated for the flood recovery centre for years to come.

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Murwillumbah Sporting Car Club SCCU Community grant

 

MSCC’s Young Driver Program takes P plate drivers and licensed high school students through an advanced driver training exercise. The program builds on the skills gained upon obtaining a NSW Driving licence through a series of in vehicle exercises, creates an awareness of maintaining a roadworthy vehicle and the basic mechanical skills required, provides a training environment which is healthy, challenging and respectful of other vehicle users, and encourages participants should they desire to further their skills on the track with tuition from the MSCC and MSA qualified drivers and instructors.

MSCC identified a need to upskill young drivers, especially at the learner and P plate level, with 21 lives lost in 2022 thus far, between the ages of 17-20 in NSW. The Young Driver Program, although in its infancy, has had real commitment shown from Murwillumbah businesses, the wider community, State and Federal governments and local secondary schools.

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Australian seabird and turtle rescue, community grants 2022

 

Australian Seabird & Turtle Rescue (ASTR) is an incorporated charity licensed to rescue and rehabilitate sick and injured seabirds, shorebirds, and marine reptiles in NSW. ASTR has been operating an educational facility for over 25 years and have very little educational material. The grant will be used to upgrade educational displays, including installing a 10m x 3 m vinyl display and turtle and bird cams that will stream to a large TV in the education room.

 In the past 12 months the group have rescued 653 animals across the organisation which included 120 marine turtles, with the majority of work being carried out by volunteers. These volunteers are trained and educated by ASTR through programs such as NSW Turtlewatch to assist management agencies to identify and protect marine turtle nests, and the ‘Don’t cut the line campaign’ to educate fisherman and the general public on what to do in situations with injured or ‘hooked’ sea birds. In addition, the team host school holiday education clinics for school aged children to help them learn young about the importance of protecting our wildlife.

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  • Key Dates

    Monday 19th September 2022: Grants Applications Open

    Friday 28th October 2022, 5pm: Applications Close

    Wednesday 2nd November 2022: Finalists Announced and Voting opens

    Wednesday 16th November 2022, 5pm: Voting Closes

    Wednesday 30th November 2022: Recipients Announced!

  • Categories

    All applications will need to self allocate from the categories below

    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.

    Sustainability

    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.

  • The Little Details

    We aim to make the application process simple and give every applicant an equal opportunity to produce a quality application. This includes questions to guide you through submission criteria.

    While we welcome small businesses and community groups to consider applying, unfortunately the following are ineligible for support through this program:

      • Individual applicants, including personal pursuits such as debt repayments, travel or ongoing medical treatment
      • 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 that fall outside the Northern Rivers Region
      • Groups of less than 3 involved in the project
      • Non SCCU Customers

    If your organisation practices in any of the above activities, we will reject your application.

    Additionally, the following Terms and Condition’s apply:

    • Grants are open to SCCU customers only. You must include your customer number in your application to apply. We encourage you to join SCCU in order to apply if you are not already a customer of ours. The account name must match the community organisation or business applying as the Grant will be paid to the organisation awarded.
    • During the application process, it’s expected you’ll be able to explain how the funding will be used in quarterly reporting should you be successful, and include SCCU in the project plan, allowing us to follow and publish the progress of your Grant allocation monthly, for a minimum of 12 months. This may include requests to provide media content or imagery that SCCU can publish to share your progress.
    • Grants awarded will be paid in AUD and into a SCCU account.
    • Completion of the application form is a critical part of our evaluation process which we use to measure your application against our selection criteria.
    • If you select “I’m interested” in banking with SCCU during the application process, a SCCU representative will give you a call to discuss.
    • As part of the application process, we capture your data and use this throughout our program
    • We may decide to award an amount different to the amount outlined in your application, Grant amounts are subject to change until awarded
    • We ask for an initial photograph to be submitted with each application, and upon providing, permission for SCCU to use in advertising is granted
    • All applications will be reviewed after the closing date of 28th of October 2022, with all applications that meet the eligibility criteria considered. Finalists will be advised via email, along with details of the voting process to follow.
    • The voting numbers received during the process form a part of the decision process to award Grants, but do not determine recipients alone.
    • One vote allowed per email address
    • All eligible applicants will be advised via email within 2 business days 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.
    • All applicants must satisfy all relevant and applicable terms have been appropriately disclosed.
    • We have the discretion to refuse funding if you have provided false information.

     

    Southern Cross Credit Union Ltd ABN 82 087 650 682

    For more information in relation to eligibility criteria

    Contact Us

Our Grants Stories

This year, we have a total of $30k in grants available to community groups and small businesses, giving you the chance to partner with us to bring your community project to life.

Meet one of our 2021 recipients, Cabarita Surf Life Saving Club

A Few Of Our Past Recipients

By working together we can achieve so much more!

2020 Community Grant - Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital

2020 – Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital (BBWH)

BBWH launched Australia’s largest Mobile Wildlife Hospital, offering expert veterinary care to native animals wherever and whenever there is a crisis impacting wildlife. Applying for a SCCU Grant in partnership with Australian Seabird Rescue, the dynamic duo is working on a much-needed Sea Turtle Recovery Dry Docking System, bringing a world-class enclosure to our shores.

2019 – 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 helped to introduce a hospitality employment path that provides professional training for project participants providing them with skills needed to return to the workforce.

2019 Community Grant - The S.H.I.F.T. Project

2020 – Emergent Leaders Foundation

The Emergent Leaders Foundation run a number of programs that provide the skills, resources and structures for individuals, families and communities to let go of old frameworks and find a path to live a consciously harmonic life. Receiving the SCCU Grant for their Impactful Youth Project saw 50% of costs covered, providing scholarships for up to 22 youths hoping to participate. The project itself is a four day camp for young men and women: based on indigenous cultures in a safe environment– to test themselves, in confidence, personal leadership, emotional literacy, and teamwork.

2020 Community Grant - Emergent Leaders Foundation

2019 Community Grant - Reforest Now

2019 – Reforest Now

A non-profit organisation based in Byron Bay, Reforest Now grows and plants trees to combat climate change and restore ecosystems. Growing 23,000 native Australian trees each year, at the time of application the nursery had reached maximum capacity with three tunnels. They have since used our SCCU Community Grant to build a 4th misting house tunnel, increasing their capacity by 100% to help meet the growing demand for trees to be replanted in our region and they themselves, have kept on growing.

We are so grateful to have a strong partnership with such a great company that really cares about its local environment – and lives up to the community custodianship we hope to share with our partners and supporters.
Dane Marx - Positive Change For Marine Life
Winning the $1,500 award from Southern Cross Credit Union’s Community Goals program will be a massive help to our organisation. This money will go directly into feeding and caring for the animals that we have rescued and are in our care. We currently have 14 sea turtles, one seabird and one sea snake in our care. With this kind of support we can give the best possible care to these animals so they can be released back into the wild.
Kelsey Banister, Australian Seabird Rescue Assistant to the General Manager
On behalf of Tweed Palliative Support and Wedgetail Retreat, we are delighted with our win!  The fact that this was a community vote makes is very special to us and we are so grateful for their support. We commend Southern Cross Credit Union for their initiative in putting on this program to assist local charities.  The $5000 Community Goals prize will greatly enable us to continue our service to the people of Tweed Shire via TPS and to maintain our world-class end-of-life care at Wedgetail Retreat. Thank you SCCU and our community!
Meredith Dennis OAM, President of Tweed Palliative Support and Wedgetail Retreat
Through their Community Grants program, Southern Cross Credit Union have demonstrated their commitment to environmental sustainability  in our region in a number of ways. As well as funding projects to recycle plastic waste and remediate contaminated soil, they have supported Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital to provide expert veterinary care to native animals. Many of our patients are sea turtles, and  SCCU’s $10,000 grant will be used in partnership with Australian Seabird Rescue to secure a much-needed Sea Turtle Recovery Dry Docking System, assisting with their rehabilitation before being released back into their ocean home. We’re so very grateful to SCCU for their support and applaud their commitment to conservation and sustainability projects.    
Dr Stephen Van Mil - Founder and CEO, Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital
Southern Cross Credit Unit is an outstanding example of a business that is all about doing right by the communities that it operates in. By supporting local organisations such as ours (Positive Change for Marine Life), they are helping to address major issues around sustainability and environmental management. As is true to character for a locally focused, community-oriented business, they not only support us financially, but by actively attending and getting involved in community events. We are proud to have SCCU as a long term partner for our projects and campaigns, as we strive to foster greater community custodianship of the incredible environments we call home.
Dane Marx - Positive Change For Marine Life
"Access to having the same uniform really helped us to create a team environment where all women feel they belong. Quality footwear is also really important not only for safety but also for physical comfort as the work does require spending a lot of time on your feet.  The support from SCCU has made all the difference and we’re so grateful”
Sam Birmingham - Operations Manager for the Linen SHIFT
  • Previous Recipients

    2020
    Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital
    Precious Plastics Northern Rivers
    GCB Environmental
    Emergent Leaders Foundation
    Georgia and Gisela Conechado
    Pottsville Beach Community Hall

    2019
    Reforest Now
    Shedding Community Workshop
    The S.H.I.F.T. Project

     

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