NAMBUCCA Heads is one of five communities in NSW short-listed to potentially be the recipient of long-term funding and support, through the Investing Rural Community Futures program, an initiative of the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) and the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation (VFFF).
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Investing in Rural Community Futures program would give not-for-profit community groups in Nambucca Heads access to grants, skills, knowledge-sharing and resources to strengthen both their capacity and capability to help them create a stronger and more vibrant future for the community.
Program manager Alli Mudford said that both FRRR and VFFF know that local organisations play a critical role in sustaining thriving small communities.
"This program looks to support a community that is ready to go from surviving to thriving. I'm excited to meet with groups of people, to hear the issues affecting not-for-profit organisations and how this project can help. To kick off this program, grants will be available to local community groups. This is the first step in what could be a five-year partnership with the Investing in Rural Communities Futures program," Ms Mudford said.
"FRRR will co-design a program with communities by providing a range of support to local community groups to deliver the change they wish to see.
"This isn't about coming into a town and 'running a program to benefit community', it's about creating something together that is local, is meaningful and will sustain changes that have a positive impact on these groups and the services they provide in rural communities."
To launch the program, two information sessions will be held on Monday in Nambucca Heads. The sessions will provide more details about the program, but it will also be a chance for FRRR and VFFF to learn about some of the challenges currently facing the local community and what would make the biggest difference moving forward.
FRRR and VFFF are keen to hear from a range of locally-based not-for-profits, so Ms Mudford urges as many local leaders to come along as possible.
"Living in rural communities can be a rewarding experience, but at the same time, it comes with its challenges. In our experience, however, local leaders know what's needed to address those issues and support their community.
"We want to learn more about what's holding local groups back from being able to do more and see how we can help solve them."
The Investing in Rural Community Futures Roadshow comes to Nambucca Heads on May 6. For more information on how you and your community organisation can register for this event, go to facebook.com/followFRRR/ and click 'Events'. For those not on Facebook, you can register by calling the FRRR office on 1800 170-020.
