Towns across the Wimmera and southern Mallee will receive tens of thousands of dollars from a $1.4 million Foundation For Rural and Regional Renewal program.

FRRR is a not-for-profit organisation that creates and seeks grants on behalf of rural and regional communities.

Its Strengthening Rural Communities, SRC, program this year distributed money to 129 community groups across Australia, including Ararat, Dimboola, Murtoa and Birchip.

Ararat Men’s Shed received $7800 for equipment to encourage new members and enhance existing members’ skills; Hindmarsh Shire Council received $10,000 to host a series of film screenings and concerts in Dimboola, aimed at enhancing post-pandemic social opportunities for seniors in the region; Murtoa’s Big Weekend event committee received $10,000 to enable local artists to create a lakeside lighting installation for the event; and Birchip Neighbourhood House received $6400 to enhance senior citizens’ health and social wellbeing by hosting 10 monthly community lunches in Birchip.

FRRR place portfolio lead Jill Karena said there was an increasing need to fill gaps in areas that previously relied on government incentives or programs, or support from local businesses.

“The SRC program is flexible and open year-round, meaning it can lean in when government and other agencies lean out,” she said.

“This access to continued funding opportunities is especially vital in communities that are moving beyond the immediate threats and response to natural disasters and other shocks.”

Ms Karena said FRRR received a record 450 applications for the current round of SRC funding, requesting more than $4.5 million in grants for projects valued at more than $19 million.

“This round, we have seen increased applications from the organisers of community events, such as local agricultural shows, as some local governments are reducing their annual funding support,” she said.

“We also saw increased funding requests from smaller, more remote communities that are seeking to boost the local economy by developing activities and events to encourage overnight stays from visitors who would otherwise pass through.

“We also noticed an increase in applications from fringe metro areas and inner rural communities, which seems to indicate they, too, are facing diminishing funding opportunities.”

Ms Karena said FRRR lacked the funds to support an additional 85 funding-ready projects, highlighting the importance of small grants to remote, rural and regional community groups.

The SRC is supported by private donors from individuals to large foundations, who are acknowledged on the FRRR website.

For a full list of SRC recipients, people can visit frrr.org.au/src-20-recipients/#src-20.

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