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A pop-up community art exhibition, a community movie night, community-led garden projects, and crafting reusable bags are all initiatives in the works following the announcement of the fourth round of Wollongong City Council’s Connecting Neighbours Grants Program.

Council initially piloted this program in 2018, and it has gone from strength to strength as community members from across the Wollongong area have applied for funds to run grassroots activities that have a positive impact on their local area.

Activities awarded funding through this round include a Family Fun Day to bring welcome new residents and share cultures, an applicant who is combining their love for gardening and community spirit to spruce up the neighbourhood and projects to reduce food waste in a neighbourhood. This round of grants includes activities that are flexible and are required to adhere to the NSW health guidelines relating to the current Covid-19 pandemic. To support this, Council has extended the timeline for delivering the community focused activities.

Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said the grants help to strengthen and celebrate our neighbourhoods at the grass roots level.

“The activities communities put together build positive neighbourhoods and connections. They encourage people to get to know one another and learn something new from a different culture or demographic and make lasting friendships, which is incredibly important. “

“These grants are also an opportunity to celebrate the creativity, kindness, and innovation of our community by supporting unique activities and events that often provide opportunities for vulnerable groups and individuals,” Cr Bradbery said.

A total of 13 grant applications will receive funding, which includes six grants of up to $250 and seven grants of up to $1000, for a total of $7,750 in funding.

Successful Connecting Neighbours Grants for this round are: