Junee Goodstart welcomes $8,800 grant from NSW Government

Children at Junee’s Goodstart Early Learning centre have welcomed a grant of more than $8,800 from the New South Wales Government which will be used to engage in an Aboriginal arts program and purchase new raised garden beds.

The funding has been made available through the NSW Government’s Community Grants program, with Centre Director Elizabeth Robbie explaining that the centre plans to engage local Wiradjuri woman, artist and educator Terri Anne O’Brien to run an art program with the children and to commission an artistic piece to be produced as a community that will be displayed in the service.

“We also have plans underway to allow us to purchase raised garden beds to provide children the space to make choices about what they would like to plant, cook and eat while learning valuable lessons,” she told local paper Junee Community News. 

Local member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke, said the service was one of five in her electorate who benefited from the funding, with ECEC services in the region netting more than $44,000. 

“Grants of up to $10,000 have been approved for a range of activities to support participation by Aboriginal children and children from low income families in a preschool program,” Ms Cooke told the paper.

“Between bushfires and COVID-19, our community has faced a number of challenges over the past few years. Early learning services play a critical role in supporting children and families. It’s fantastic to see this funding being made available to support the work of these services in our region.”

Payments to eligible and successful services commenced in late December 2021.

To access the original coverage of this story please see here.