Bushfire Recovery Information
Bushfire Recovery Grants
Supporting our bushfire affected communities is important particularly as we navigate our way through the COVID-19 pandemic. As our communities begin to work towards recovery, we are calling for applications for the Bushfire Community Recovery Grants. The grants will fund grass roots community focussed health and wellbeing initiatives in the following local government areas:
- Mid-coast
- Tenterfield
- Glen Innes Severn
- Armidale
- Walcha
- Central Coast
- Cessnock
- Inverell
- Singleton
Grants of up to $5,000 are available.
These are to support activities that help strengthen community connectedness, build peer support, and promote mental wellbeing and healing after the bushfires. Suitable activities could also include assisting community members to identify peers or family members who may need referral to professional and other services to address trauma or distress.
Examples of activities that could be funded:
- Bringing the community together to support social skills, connectedness and build networks and friendships through group activities, e.g. community barbecues, regular coffee mornings, community meetings
- Projects that are recovery focused and aim to build on the community’s and members’ resilience, healing and capacity building
- Sharing information about available community resources and services and how to access them, including printing and photocopying information sheets and other items for dissemination
- Assisting community members to identify peers or family members who may need referral to professional and other services to address trauma or distress
- Engaging proactively with bushfire affected people in remote or isolated areas
- Initiatives offering comfort, reassurance and assistance to communities and individuals to address practical needs and return to normal routines; and/or
- Practical advice and skills development, e.g. for parents to help provide support for their children, addressing particular needs of isolated older people, or future bushfire planning and preparedness.
Grants that have been funded include:
- A community health and wellbeing festival will be held at a local Central School. Various wellbeing activities will be part of the festival, including guest speakers and community stalls that include Mental Health providers in the area.
- Support catering costs associated with regular ‘Community Cuppa’ events at the local hall. The Hall Management Committee and local volunteers will host other activities to coincide with the events to build social re-connection.
- Thank you BBQ with local producers and mental health service providers for RFS volunteers who assisted during the 2019/2020 bushfires, along with general community members and local residents.
- Healing my communities workshops on traditional land. The walks and overnight stays are for the whole community to attend including young people, women, and elders. Members of the community will join, and be supported, elders, and staff who are traditional healers, to understand their history, their land on which they are meeting, their people, and their great, great, grandfathers.
- The purchase of mental health passports from the Centre for Rural and Remote Health and gift bags from local communities for rural women, and men’s road to recovery events.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applications will open for Round 4 of grants on Monday, 11 January, 2021 and will close on Friday, 19 February, 2021.
You can complete this form, including an uploaded Budget Template, online.
If you are having trouble completing this form or require assistance, please contact Jane Mendelson, Grants Manager on 0437 546 887 or jmendelson@hnecccphn.com.au
Please use the online form provided at the link below to apply for the Bushfire Community Recovery Grants.
COMPLETE ONLINE APPLICATION FORM
Successful applicants will be notified within two weeks of closing date.
A second round of grants will be released later in the year.
If you have problems completing this form or would like to discuss your grant application, please contact Grants Manager, Jane Mendelson on 0437 546 887 or email jmendelson@hneccphn.com.au
COVID-19 IMPORTANT INFORMATION
The current health guidelines in relation to COVID-19 will mean that the many of the activities that may have been funded under the Bushfire Recovery grants will not be possible at this time e.g. LARGE social gatherings.
The PHN recognises however, that perhaps more than ever our bushfire affected communities could use support to connect with each other and promote wellness and resilience.
There may be opportunities to support activities that are achieved via online or virtual platforms.
However, applications for events that will not be able to be held until COVID-19 restrictions are lifted are welcome if the events are held by June 2022.
Please note that successful applicants will be required to develop a risk plan to ensure the community’s risk of exposure to COVID-19 is minimised.
OTHER RESOURCES
There are a variety of online resources your community may find useful through these difficult times and they can be accessed below:
