The $50,000 community wellbeing and resilience fund will be used to support existing community groups that are working with individuals and families, particularly disadvantaged ones, by expanding their programs or creating new ones.
The grants – with between $500-$2000 available to each applicant – are open to any incorporated community group operating within the City of Onkaparinga.
Examples of community-led programs that could be funded by the grant include those that:
- Support residents to have access to safe, affordable, culturally appropriate and nutritious food
- Enable communities to support each other to reduce social isolation
- Up-skill workers to move into another career path
- Provide financial advice and support to those that have lost jobs or suffered a drop in income
- Enable young people in the community to provide support (e.g. replacing at-risk volunteers)
The funds allocated to this grant are from savings identified in a 2019-20 budget review, and it aims to fill a gap between other COVID-19 relief measures council is providing, as well as those provided by organisations, businesses and the state and federal governments.
More details on the community wellbeing and resilience fund will be available at onkaparingacity.com/grants from next week.
“Times are tough right now, but we’re all in this together and this fund adds to a suite of COVID-19 relief measures already introduced by council to help ease the strain on our communities,” says City of Onkaparinga Mayor, Erin Thompson.
“We’re continuing to work through what other support options can be offered to our community as people continue to be impacted by the virus.
“It’s important we make sure that meaningful relief is provided to those who really need it.”
Other COVID-19 support measures implemented by City of Onkaparinga to date include:
- A longer period of time to pay fourth quarter rates instalments without incurring penalties, for a period of up to eight weeks past the due date, and looking at what other options we can provide our ratepayers through the budget process.
- Waiving lease and associated costs for businesses and community and sporting clubs using council facilities for a period of three months between 1 April and 30 June 2020, with an extension if required.
- A “Think Local, Buy Local” advertising campaign to promote local businesses and support the local economy.
- Reducing the payment terms for small-to-medium local businesses to 14 days.
- Pivoting the Southern Business Mentoring Program—jointly funded with Cities of Marion and Holdfast Bay—to respond to business issues relating to COVID-19. All appointment fees have been waived until June 30 and two new specialist streams—mental health and wellbeing and specialist retail support—have been added.
- Establishing a dedicated COVID-19 business support page and distributing weekly COVID-19 business support emails, as well as publishing a COVID-19 business resource guide with links and support.
- Creating a local Jobs Board Directory that lists local job providers, agencies and recruiters to assist job seekers in our community.
COVID-19 responses aside, City of Onkaparinga is focused on maintaining continuity of the services it provides to its community to ensure residents are supported during this time and the crisis is not exacerbated.
Our residents and businesses are using our services more than ever, as well as seeking support for the new challenges this crisis has presented.
To keep up-to-date with City of Onkaparinga’s relief measures and affected services, visit onkaparingacity.com/Emergency-announcements/Covid-19