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Local winners in grant funding
Friday 25 March 2011
Local winners in grant funding
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A number of local organisations have benefited from the latest round of grants from Cairns Regional Council with funding being approved across a number of fields including community, sport and recreation, the arts, and sustainability.
Over $200,000 was allocated across the region in order to build on the valuable contributions that community organisations make to the lives of residents.
Local recipients include:
- Mossman Community Playgroup ($5,855 for shade sails)
- SANDS ($3,090 for the Walk To Remember)
- Mossman and District Gymnastics Club ($6,000 for equipment)
- Douglas Netball Association ($5,323 for junior coaching development)
- Douglas United Football Club ($6,000 for equipment)
- Portfolio Productions ($1,504 for Healthy Debate = Healthy Community)
The Walk To Remember is an annual event organised by SANDS ((Stillbirth and Neonatal Death), a support group helping families who have experienced the death of a baby, and was co-founded by local resident Nerissa Healy.
"It (last year's Walk To Remember) was largely funded from people who have been coming to the meetings and they donated a lot, and we received a little bit of money from SANDS Queensland," Ms Healy said.
The $3,000 Community Development grant will help grow the event which is held at the Cairns Esplanade in October.
"We'll use the funding to get tents from the Council, chairs, it'll pay for the PA system and morning tea, and we'll have a butterfly release," she said.
The funding will also go towards paying for the use of the Esplanade.
Claire Tierney of Portfolio Productions will be bringing some comedy to Port Douglas with the $1,500 grant she received under the Arts and Cultural Grants Program.
"I want to do a great debate as an annual event at The Clink (where) residents of Port Douglas debate issues against each other. It'll be a light-hearted comedic thing.
While the details of the event are yet to be finalised, Ms Tierney envisages a slightly different take on The Great Debate as seen in the Melbourne Comedy Festival with passionate tourism employees going head to head
"I want the reef people to argue for the rainforest, and the rainforest people to argue for the reef so they have to argue something which they may not agree with. Hopefully we'll end up with something that's bloody funny," she said.