FUNDING grants have been awarded to a number of community organisations in Augusta Margaret River.
Through the South West Development Commission, $370,000 in State Government money has been allocated to help local projects get off the ground and for community groups to carry out local services.
The community chest fund initiative saw 70 applicants apply for a slice of the funding grant, with 32 of these being successfully supported.
These applicants were celebrated in a gathering on Friday at the Margaret River Community Resource Centre.
“The successful applicants really shone,” SWDC strategic manager Anna Oades said.
Two of these shining applications came from the Cape to Cape Catchment Group and the Margaret River Community Resource Centre itself.
Cape to Cape Catchment Group put forward to applications with one of these being approved for $20000 of funding.
The application outlined a plan to conduct a ‘BioBlitz’ day in the springtime in Margaret River, involving citizen science with the community and schools conducting surveys which would help to collect information about the native environment.
Cape to Cape Catchment Group coordinator Caroline Hughes said the group had strong hopes that BioBlitz would turn into an annual event.
Catchment Group chairperson Boyd Wykes said the BioBlitz would focus on Margaret River and its conservation values, detailing how unique the area was due to its marine species.
The Margaret River Community Resource Centre was allocated $14,827 towards Launching Little People, their community childcare centre expansion project.
“It’s just the community investment in the childcare centre for us,” MRCR project officer Lydell Huntly said.
Resource Centre chairperson Sally Hays said they had made the decision to turn their occasional facility into an all day in an effort to support families in the community.
South West MP Barry House said Margaret River was a self built town and it was a pleasure to watch funds being allocated to organisations which help the community to grow.
“One of the great aspects of the program is that it allows us to make funding decisions for the South West about projects which attract investment and improve quality of life,” SWDC chairperson Stuart Hicks said
“We look forward to watching the funded projects take shape over the coming months and seeing the positive impact these projects continue to have well into the future.”