Council announce COVID-19 Community Recovery Grants Program

Published on 22 June 2020

Sports Recovery grants

Bland Shire Council has announced a landmark new grants program to help local sporting groups, community groups and organisations recover from COVID-19.

The Bland Shire COVID-19 Community Recovery program will offer one-off grants of up to $4000 to assist eligible local sporting clubs to return to normal activities.

The innovative new grants program was unanimously adopted by Council at its June monthly meeting last night with fast tracked applications open from today.

“Council recognises that community groups are part of the fabric of the Bland Shire community,” Bland Shire Mayor, Brian Monaghan said.

“As well providing immense health and wellbeing benefits, community and sporting groups also brings us together as a community whether it be as a volunteer, a player, parent or spectator sitting or standing alongside a mate and cheering from the sideline.

“As we carefully enter into the COVID-19 recovery phase, Council has launched this new community recovery program to help our local organisations to resume operations and bring back a sense of normality and joy to the community for the remainder of 2020 and beyond.”

Council has allocated a funding pool of up to $150,000 for the one-off program with grants of between $500 and $4000 available to Bland Shire based organisations that can demonstrate a direct impact from COVID-19.

The program will fund initiatives that facilitate a return to sport and community group activities and foster the long term sustainability of local sporting clubs and organisations, such as –

•           Assistance with fees, registrations and insurances

•           Provision of hygiene stations, volunteer training and minor infrastructure to become COVID safe and compliant

•           Implementation of technology and/or initiatives that benefit the health and safety of volunteers, players and spectators

•           Assistance with utility costs, and

•           Initiatives that build resilience and foster the long term sustainability of the club

Projects not eligible for funding include uniforms, sporting equipment, large scale infrastructure, staging of special events/tournaments or recovery of lost income.

Applications are open now at www.blandshire.nsw.gov.au and close on 31 July or when the allocated fund is fully expended. Only one application will be accepted per organisation.

To provide added financial certainty and further assist organisations to resume as soon as possible, all applicants will be advised of the outcome of their submitted application within seven days.

For further information or assistance with the application, applicants are advised to contact Bland Shire Council on 6972 2266.

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