Brimbank Council Meeting No. 633 21 May 2024
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12.11
Brimbank Annual Community Grants Program 2024/2025
12.11
Brimbank Annual Community Grants Program
2024/2025
Directorate
Community Wellbeing
Director
Lynley Dumble
Manager
Cheree Hunter
Attachment(s)
N/A
Purpose
For Council to consider the proposed Brimbank Annual Community Grants Program
2024/2025 categories.
Officer Recommendation
That Council:
a. Endorses Community Strengthening, Mental Health and Wellbeing,
Climate Emergency, Young People’s Ideas, Community Festival and
Events, Major Festival and Events, and Seniors Operational Grants as the
categories for Brimbank’s Annual Community Grants Program
2024/2025.
b. Notes the indicative dates for the Brimbank Annual Community Grants
Program 2024/2025 set out in this report.
Background
The Brimbank Community Grants Policy 2014 (the Policy) requires Council to determine
the grant categories in line with Council’s strategic goals and emerging community
priorities. The Policy provides a strong and transparent framework to guide this
significant investment. It ensures consistency in assessing, acquitting and monitoring the
community grants.
The Brimbank Community Grants Program is designed to provide one off financial
assistance to Not-For-Profit Organisations, community groups and organisations to
deliver projects that support and improve the Brimbank community’s health and
wellbeing, support life-long learning, encourage sustainable living, promote Brimbank as
a destination and build capacity through partnerships and networks. The Grant Program
contributes to community strengthening, which is consistent with Council’s strategic
objectives.
The Brimbank Community Grants Program comprises of:
1. The Brimbank Annual Community Grants – delivered once per calendar year.
2. The Quick Responsive Grants - two Community Grants categories (Responsive
Grants and Establishment Grants) that are open to the community across the
year and assessed tri-annually in February, August and November.
Matters for Consideration
Options
A. It is proposed that categories listed below be delivered as part of Brimbank’s
Annual Community Grant Program 2024/2025.
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Analysis
Under the Community Grants (Major Grants Policy 2014), Council determines the
Community Grants categories annually. The Grants applications assessment is delegated
to Council Officers and final grant approval is delegated to the Director Community
Wellbeing.
It is proposed that the Brimbank Annual Community Grants Program 2024/2025
categories reflect:
1. Together We are Brimbank Plan
that incorporates the Community Vision 2040,
Council Plan 2021 – 2025 and the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan as
listed in the Legislation/Council Plan/Policy context section of this report.
2. Emerging and ongoing community priorities
such as mental health, social
justice issues, community connections, loneliness and isolation, youth
development and climate emergency.
These categories will continue to support the Brimbank community to work together to
implement innovative local solutions needed to respond to ongoing and emerging
challenges and strengthen community resilience.
1. Community Strengthening Grants (up to $10,000)
.
Projects and activities that will support the community to effect social justice change,
promote lifelong learning, encourage healthy and active lifestyles and involvement in
community life through creating awareness, improving inclusion, promoting resilience
and developing a strong sense of belonging and identity. This may include projects
addressing gender inequality, social isolation, supporting people living with disability,
their families and carers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, LGBTQIA+
community, young people and the Brimbank community/residents.
Examples of projects and activities could include, community forums or information
sessions, exhibitions, sports day, youth-led activities, activities that boost community
volunteerism, community yarns/conversations.
2. Climate Emergency Grants (up to $10,000)
.
Support the Brimbank community including environmental Friends of Friends groups to
implement projects that support greenhouse emissions reduction and climate adaptation
within Brimbank.
Examples of projects could include educational initiatives that raise awareness about
climate emergency to a range of community groups, funding of electric and renewable
technology appliances that benefit a wide range of community members, and
environmental initiatives that support the community to protect the flora and fauna and
produce products and food locally.
3. Mental Health and Wellbeing Grants (up to $10,000)
.
Projects and activities that improve and build the community’s capacity to support
mental health and wellbeing.
Examples could include programs and activities that strengthen and promote community
connections, reduce loneliness, social isolation, risk of homelessness, and awareness of
gambling harm, raise awareness of mental health and reduce stigma such as mental
health first aid training, forums or information sessions, and encourage people who are
experiencing or at risk of mental health to seek help.
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4. Young People’s Ideas Grants (up to $10,000)
.
This category is for a young person or group of young people aged 12-25 years who are
supported by an auspice organisation or are part of an incorporated group, to deliver a
project, event or program that positively impacts other young people in the Brimbank
community.
For example, projects and activities that are led and initiated by young people such as
forums, sporting activities, art exhibitions, performances, mentoring and hangouts.
5. Community Festival and Event Grants (up to $10,000)
.
Support the contribution of Brimbank’s smaller groups and organisations that play a role
in building a more connected and engaged community. These are local smaller scale
festival and events primarily attracting local audiences.
Examples include art, music, sporting or cultural celebrations, Reconciliation and NAIDOC
week activities.
6. Major Festival and Event Grants (up to $25,000)
.
Support festival and events that showcase Brimbank’s diversity, places, talents, cultures
or unique offerings. These festival and events enhance Brimbank’s reputation as a great
place to live, work, visit and play and are of larger scale attracting more than 5,000
people. A series of events would be considered.
7. Seniors Operational Grants (up to $1,000)
.
Support for senior groups in Brimbank towards their day-to-day operating costs.
Implementation
The Brimbank Annual Community Grants Program 2024/2025 is proposed to open on 29
May and close on 14 July 2024. Based on community feedback the earlier timeframes
will allow more time and greater certainty for major festivals and events running at the
start of the year.
The following table provides indicative dates for the Brimbank Annual Community Grants
Program 2024/2025.
Annual Grants round opens
29 May 2024
Information and Grant Writing sessions June 2024
Community Grants round closes
14 July 2024
Grants Assessments
15 July – October 2024
Councillor notification
November 2024
Applicant notifications, feedback and
signing of Funding Agreements.
November 2024
Grants payment
November – December 2024
Governance Report
December 2024
Community Engagement
The Community Grants Officer and other Council Officers who are subject expert matters
will be available to support potential applicants. A series of grant writing workshops and
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information sessions will be held throughout June 2024 for the Brimbank Community
Annual Grants Program.
Selected information sessions will have the provision of an interpreter upon request
based on the top five languages in Brimbank: Vietnamese, Traditional Chinese, Simplified
Chinese, Greek and Macedonian, and emerging languages such as Chin Hakka (Chin
Burmese), Arabic (Iraq) and Dinka (South Sudanese).
Resource And Risk Implications
The resources of $600,000 required for this matter has been referred to the 2024/2025
annual budget for consideration.
Community:
potential impact on community, including public trust and customer
service impact
• Yes – Lack of public trust for Council to support Brimbank’s community social
outcomes.
Yes – Lack of public trust in open and transparent application and selection process.
Legislation/Council Plan/Policy Context
This report supports the Council Plan 2021-2025 strategic direction and objective of:
1. People and Community - A welcoming, safe and supported community - An
inclusive place for all
• Wellbeing and Belonging - Responsive services that support mental and physical
wellbeing
• Pride and Participation - Community and cultural connections built through social and
artistic expression
2. Places and Spaces - Liveable and connected neighbourhoods that support
healthy and sustainable futures - A green place for all
• Liveable and Connected - Inviting and liveable spaces and facilities, connected so
people can get around
• Sustainable and Green - Protect natural environments for current and future
generations
3. Opportunity and Prosperity - A future focused, transforming city where all
have opportunities to learn and earn - A prosperous place for all
• Growing and Transforming - Optimise community opportunities through infrastructure
innovation and investment
• Earning and Learning - Everyone has access to education, training and lifelong learning
to support their aspirations.
This report complies with the Brimbank Community Grants Policy 2014 and the Together
We are Brimbank Plan that incorporates the Community Vision 2040, Council Plan 2021 –
2025 and the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan.
Council officers contributing to the preparation and approval of this report, have no
conflicts of interests to declare.
