Community Strengthening Program

Limited funds are available to community groups for distribution for the development of community services.

Certain types of projects will be given priority, these priority areas include:

• Community project, community initiatives and/or the maintenance and improvement of community capital and community quality of life.
• Projects which encourage the development of self-help activities, particularly those which represent new approaches to meeting community needs.
• Projects which are concerned with the increasing community usage of local facilities. Funding for renovation, repair, equipment or programme development may be considered.
• One off project which encourage people towards active participation in community services and activities.
• Project indicating some evidence of general community benefit.
• Projects that encourage the development of the community in which individuals and groups have access to facilities, programs and services.
• Host organisations are locally based, not for profit and most importantly managed predominately by community volunteers.
• The Councils knowledge of the local host organisation and the confidence that the council funds will be used wisely and for the purposes stated.

As a general rule, preference will be given to funding those groups showing a high incidence of self-help as evidenced by matching funds put towards the project/initiative by the group, which might be from its own resources or provided by service groups or the like.