More than $900,000 awarded to community-led groups building pandemic resilience

Media releases (soft launch), 5 September 2022

Twenty-seven community-led groups in remote, rural and regional NSW will share in $912,505 awarded through the Resilience NSW COVID Regional Community Support (CRCS) program.

Funded by the NSW Government and administered by the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR), the grants were allocated to grassroots community groups and not-for-profit organisations that helped their communities navigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

NSW Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said the funding stream would help these groups build resilience and better mitigate the impact of pandemics and other disasters across their communities.

“We awarded between $3,363 and $50,000 to organisations, to support a wide range of regional capacity building initiatives to help enhance community wellbeing, create stronger local economies, and enable a greater ability to respond to future challenges,” Ms Cooke said.

“The pandemic has posed plenty of difficulties for people and families in remote and regional areas over the past two years, and community-led organisations played an important role in navigating those challenges.”

Ms Cooke said some of the common requests from community groups involved facility improvements, food security and assisting with the increased demand on local services in flood-devastated areas such as the Northern Rivers.

“We’ve been able to address some of these needs through this funding stream, to ensure these groups and the communities they work with are in better stead for the future.”

Some of the 27 funded projects include:

  • Agape Outreach Inc in Tweed Heads to improve staff and volunteer resilience and increase capacity to support the community through mental health and wellbeing training – $36,600.
  • Forster Neighbourhood Centre Inc in Forster to promote organisational capacity and support local access to essential services by contributing to the fit-out of the new Forster Neighbourhood Centre – $50,000.
  • Gunnedah Meals on Wheels Association in Gunnedah to improve the capacity of Gunnedah Meals on Wheels to support vulnerable community members through a hamper program and the purchase of a large deep freezer – $8,150.
  • LeaderLife Ltd in Dubbo to grow organisational resilience and support skills development in local youth through a new syntropic farming system – $50,000.
  • Sustainable Agriculture and Gardening Eurobodalla in Moruya to increase organisational capacity and promote food security in the Eurobodalla Shire through the hiring of a Business Manager – $50,000.

Natalie Egleton, CEO of FRRR, said the grants acknowledge and will strengthen the capacity of regional organisations in NSW who played such a critical role in supporting communities throughout COVID-19 challenges. 

“The impact of the pandemic has been significant and is still being felt,” Ms Egleton said. “The flexibility of this program recognised that every community is different and requires tailored support and funding to ensure that they can continue to provide vital services, bring people and community organisations together and enable locally-led responses as and when required.

“Being able to support the many community organisations and not-for-profits who have gone above and beyond for their communities during such difficult times and enable them to be better prepared in the future is important to the ongoing sustainability and vibrancy of these communities.”

A complete list of the projects supported is below.

OrganisationProjectLocationGrant
Agape Outreach Inc

Upskill Disaster Support & Resilience Project
Improve staff and volunteer resilience and increase capacity to support community through mental health and wellbeing training.

Tweed Heads $36,600
Albury Wodonga Regional Foodshare

Community Pantry
Increase organisational capacity and service reach through the employment of a project coordinator. 

Albury $25,000
Armidale Care for Seniors Inc

Installation of Solar Panels and Implement a Senior's Wellness Activity
Improve capacity of Armidale Care for Seniors to support seniors by running a wellness program. 

Armidale $35,280
Bega Valley Shire Business Forum

Growing Volunteer Participation in Local Business Chambers
Support economic recovery by strengthening the volunteer base and upskilling committee members across the Forum’s seven member organisations. 

Bega $50,000
Boys To The Bush Ltd

Boys to the Bush (BttB) Young Up and Coming
Support Boys to the Bush to establish a presence in Young NSW through the delivery of camps for disadvantaged young males and associated community engagement.

Young $49,970
Carevan Wagga Incorporated

Carevan Continues to Care
Support Carevan Wagga to provide meals to people experiencing food insecurity through the purchase of take-away food containers and gloves.

Wagga Wagga $3,363
Carries Place Domestic Violence and Homelessness Services Inc

Establishing Client Centric Spaces within a Community Hub to Support the Provision of Domestic Violence and Homelessness Services in the Hunter Community
Grow the capacity of Carrie’s Place to support domestic and family violence victims in the Hunter through a trauma-informed fit-out of a new hub.

Maitland $23,188
Community College-Northern Inland Inc

Human Resources Project
Improve the capacity of CCNI to provide targeted and relevant education to rural and regional communities through improved HR processes and policies.

Barraba $30,000
Coonamble Cancer Survival Fund Inc

Governance Training
Strengthen and support community groups by providing current and future volunteer committee members with governance training. 

Coonamble $4,095
Emmanuel Care Centre Inc

Business Continuation
Improve organisational sustainability through hiring of new staff member. 

Dubbo $26,508
Forster Neighbourhood Centre Inc

Futureproofing Forster/Tuncurry
Promote organisational capacity and support local access to essential services by contributing to the fit out of the new Forster Neighbourhood Centre. 

Forster-Tuncurry $50,000
Gundagai Neighbourhood Centre Inc

Fridays for Friendship
Support organisation to empower local recovery and resilience building through weekly wellbeing sessions.

Gundagai $42,766
Gunnedah Meals on Wheels Association

Our Elderly are Resilient and Deserved to be Looked After
Improve capacity of Gunnedah Meals on Wheels to support vulnerable community members through a hamper program and the purchase of a large deep freeze.

Gunnedah $8,150
Home-Start National Inc

Newcastle/Lake Macquarie Volunteer Resilience Project
Build the capacity of Home Start in the West Lake Macquarie region through bridging funding for a part-time project coordinator.

Lake Macquarie $20,546
Kempsey Neighbourhood Centre Inc

Connecting Community
Increase KNCs capacity to support vulnerable community members through the employment of a community engagement worker.

Kempsey $43,546
LeaderLife Ltd

LeaderLife with Syntropics: Let's Grow
Grow organisational resilience and support skills development in local youth through the implantation of a syntropic farming system.

Dubbo $50,000
Liberty Domestic and Family Violence Specialist Services Inc

Liberty Domestic and Family Violence Wellbeing Space
Improve capability of Liberty to support domestic and family violence victims through the fit out of a new wellness space and the hiring of an onsite co-ordinator.

Port Macquarie $50,000
Louisa Johnston Centre Inc

Bonalbo Stay Connected with a New Computer Hub
Enhance organisational capacity to support Bonalbo’s residents to rebuild through the establishment of a community computer hub.

Bonalbo $40,648
Manning Support Services Inc

Keeping Families Connected
Improve service provision and client engagement while increasing organisational resilience to future pandemics.

Taree $12,581
Queer Family Inc

Queer Family Recovery Officer
Hire a Recovery Officer to support recovery and resilience building for an organisation focused on LGBTQIA+ communities in Northern NSW.

Mullumbimby $49,700
Rural Financial Counselling Service, NSW - Southern Region Ltd

Building Counsellor & Business Coach Capacity
Improve organisational capacity through targeted training in coaching and mentoring services for rural and regional businesses in financial difficulty. 

Wagga Wagga $50,000
Singleton Family Support Scheme

Singleton Family Support Scheme Incorporated
 Build capacity of Singleton Family Support Scheme to assist families in crisis by increasing staff hours.

Singleton $49,500
Support for New Mums

Attracting, Training and Retaining Volunteers
Increase the capacity of support for  new mums to care for mums and babies in Tweed and Byron shires through the training of new volunteers.

Murwillumbah $10,204
Sustainable Agriculture and Gardening Eurobodalla

SAGE NSW Inc - Building Capacity and Resilience Project
Increase organisational capacity to promote food security in the Shire through the hiring of a Business Manager.

Moruya $50,000
Third Sector Australia Ltd

The Meeting Place
Enhance the capacity of Momentum to support a low socioeconomic community through the fit-out of a community space. 

Casino$1,5950
We Help Ourselves

WHOS Hunter - Day Program Fitout
Improve capacity of WHOS Hunter Valley to support patients requiring rehabilitation who are not under residential treatment, through the fit out of new premises. 

Newcastle$35,670
Wyee Community Hub Inc

Building Resilience after COVID at Wyee
Improve the capacity of WCHIA to support a more resilient Wyee through volunteer training.

Wyee$49,240
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Amy Crawford

Amy Crawford has an extensive career in complex public policy and its intersection across government and communities.

Amy is the Chief Executive Officer at the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA), representing 537 councils across the nation. Amy holds over 20 years’ experience in the Australian Public Service. She has a deep understanding of federal government policies and structures, with over 10 years’ service in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and has worked for the federal Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories. Amy has shaped a wide range of policies and programs including regional development, telecommunications, immigration, emergency management, social policy and pandemic preparation.

Amy is a Board Director of Austroads and represents ALGA on the Public Skills Australia Industry Advisory Group, and the Australia-New Zealand Emergency Management Committee. She is also a Board Director for the Canberra Youth Theatre which provides voice for Canberra’s youth through intelligent and challenging theatre.

Amy holds a Bachelor of Laws (honours) and Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) from the University of Queensland, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an alumnus of the Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership. Amy was appointed to the FRRR Board in January 2025.

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Kylie Hansen

Kylie brings leadership and management experience from across academic, corporate, not-for-profit, social enterprise and impact investment sectors, having deep dived into a myriad of specialisations and systems. Her six tertiary qualifications are equally as diverse and complimentary, covering commerce, politics, international development, community development, project management and law. Her breadth and depth of experience enables her to draw on a number of disciplines and innovative ways of working and thinking, and she is well recognised as consistently delivering work and services of a high quality.

Kylie uses her strong background in sustainability, governance and impact measurement to support collaborative initiatives across sectors oriented at improving social outcomes, and to support socially conscientious businesses to articulate their social impact. As founder and director at Impact Seed she has been instrumental in developing the impact measurement, evaluation, learning and ESG practice which advises numerous corporates, and is passionate about supporting First Nations empowerment particularly in the context of regional economic development.

Kylie is also a Director of the WA Social Enterprise Council, a member of the B Council (B Lab Australia and New Zealand), and a Governor of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

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Hon. John Anderson AC

The Hon. John Anderson AC is a sixth-generation farmer and grazier from NSW, who served in the Australian Parliament from 1989 to 2008.

He was a senior Cabinet minister in the government led by John Howard (1996 to 2005), including six years as Leader of the National Party and Deputy Prime Minister.

In the latter role, Mr Anderson played in important role in FRRR’s history, working closely with Baillieu Myer AC and others on a proposal to establish a philanthropic organisation to benefit rural Australia. The concept was discussed at the National Regional Summit in 1999 and FRRR was established shortly thereafter.

Mr Anderson currently hosts a regular podcast, where he is in conversation with thought-leaders from around the world, and is a regular media commentator.

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Regina Cruickshank

Partnerships Specialist (WA)

Regina supports FRRR as the WA Partnerships Specialist. With over two decades of experience in partnerships and marketing, she has a deep understanding of Western Australia’s social impact landscape. She brings a strong passion for leveraging purpose-built networks to create positive change.

Regina previously worked with Playgroup WA and founded a Health Promotion Charity dedicated to supporting Social Emotional wellbeing for underserved communities. She’s excited about the opportunity to connect with partners and explore ways to make a meaningful difference in WA.

She lives in Perth with her family and enjoys mindful moments of connection to Country, whether on horseback, on foot or underwater.

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Anna Palmer

People and Culture Manager

Based in Central Victoria, Anna is a senior Human Resources, Organisation Development and Industrial Relations professional, with significant private and public sector experience across every facet of people and culture leadership.

Her most recent roles have been with Don KR in Castlemaine and Mount Alexander Shire Council. She has also held senior HR roles with Victoria Legal Aid and the TAC among many others.

From Mildura originally, Anna has postgraduate qualifications in Change Management and a Masters in Organisation Dynamics.

Anna is currently completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts to balance her creative pursuits and work as an HR professional.

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Philippa Twaddle

Management Accountant

Carolyn joined the FRRR team in March 2017, and is responsible for providing executive support to the CEO, effective coordination of the FRRR office and general administrative support to the management team. A key responsibility is supporting the administration of FRRR’s Donation Account Services.

She has over fifteen years’ experience working in local government in the Tourism and Arts Sector, Civic and Event Management and Community engagement.

Carolyn has a Bachelor of Arts in Librarianship, majoring in psychology, and grew up on farming communities in Cohuna and Echuca and currently lives in Bendigo.