Batemans Bay Community Morning Tea
Friday 25 November 2022
On Friday 15 wonderful community members from the Batemans Bay area came together for morning tea and to network at the beautiful Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden. They shared their granting success stories and provide input around next steps for the IRCF program in the region.
We heard inspiring stories from volunteer led organisations who haven’t had enough opportunities like this to come together and identify synergies and share ideas and collective challenges. What they love about the IRCF program is that we not only provide opportunities to have these meaningful discussions we are also able to provide support and resources to bring solutions to life.
We captured these reflections and have shared them below.
This project received grant funding from The Snow Foundation.
Sharing from the Group
The entire group were so appreciative of the opportunity to come together in this way and are very keen to keep this type of collaboration as an ongoing event in their calendar.
- Grant writing skills are need to be sourced rather than trying to upskill small groups. Previous projects have demonstrated this does not work for the smaller not for profits they need support to pay a grant writer/strategist on an adhoc basis.
- The Clyde River and Batemans Bay Historical Society Inc Is pivoting to become a Maritime Museum which will spotlight the marine park, Penguin project, toll gates and the slipway history. The Heritage museum are going to work with the IRCF program to bring a toolbox project around social media for the small grassroots NFPs to build on the project they ran in the initial rounds to bring governance training to the area.
- David from Batemans Bay Rotary shared a little about their project and the work they have been doing with SHASA to have a technology focus to bring the Tech Exec and have a web presence in May next year. This will mean we have a community owned and controlled data base of all of our Not For Profit groups in the area.
- Two people Rob and Sharlene attended and are employed in support roles in SHASA and SAGE with FRRR grant funding to build capacity it was wonderful to have them in the space to share with us their projects.
- Rick and Helmut shared that the council are working with Eurobodalla Woodworkers to secure land to rebuild after loosing their workshop the fires and they have finally be able to engage an architect with the funding received in the first round.
- SHASA shared that they have had success with engaging corporates in roles that volunteers have not been able to assist with particularly where you may need heaving lifting for eg. possibly bringing business and in kind support is the solution. They expo was a success this year as they developed partnerships and also were able through their fundraising co-match funds when applying. Their one page strategic plan really set them up for success. Without the Snow funding to write our one page strategic plan we would never have had the growth we have in the past 2 years.
- Shasa EV expo in 12 March 2023 to be held at Hanging Rock, Batemans Bay.
- Cate from Muddy Puddles shared her gratitude for the work that FRRR and The Snow Foundation have done over many years and the strategy that was developed in the initial round has now seen the follow on staff and L&D support projects come to life.
- The Circle Foundation shared that they are exploring the change needed to make social subscribing and a healthy living centre come to life. Their goal of integrating clinical services and social problems. Their first client group will begin in the new year with the for health choir. To be held at the CWA Hall in Mourya Tuesdays 9 – 10am from March to June. The Circle Foundation was formed with a start up grant from The Snow Foundation in the initial IRCF round. They are a social enterprise for all wellbeing and particularly mental health services to deliver on the research that shows that often in early stages of mental health What people really needed was a friend.
- Southern Women’s Group WDVCAS Service, who work with domestic violence victims have been delivering Love Bites to the local schools and we welcomed them to join the IRCF program. More broadly they need funding to continue delivering Love Bites, a program for young girls around healthy relationships.
Next Steps
The group were very focused on volunteering as the conversations emerged and FRRR will be planning a workshop around volunteers in the first quarter of 2023 particularly related to Collective registration, Support to volunteers, Giving and celebrating and Volunteer induction and support processes.
The workshop will follow participatory practice methods and identify community centred solutions
