Seeds of Renewal grants program offers support to rural and regional ECEC services
The Sector > Provider > General News > Seeds of Renewal grants program offers support to rural and regional ECEC services

Seeds of Renewal grants program offers support to rural and regional ECEC services

by Freya Lucas

June 15, 2022

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in rural and regional Australia are some of the many community groups and not-for-profit organisations eagerly awaiting the opening of the 20th annual ANZ Seeds of Renewal small grants program in July.

 

Baradine Preschool Incorporated, a successful 2021 applicant, used its $11,116 grant to enable community financial wellbeing through access to local childcare facilities to support working parents. 

 

The overall aim of ANZ Seeds of Renewal is to help build vibrant and sustainable rural communities, to ensure the ongoing prosperity of regional Australia, built around two key tenets, namely: 

 

  • Vibrant communities are diverse and inclusive with strong social capital, where everyone can participate and build a better life; and,
  • Sustainable communities innovate, expand, and create opportunities that will deliver demonstrable medium to long-term economic benefit to the community, contributing to economic sustainability.

 

“Every year, we are impressed by the innovation and desire that these local groups have for the long-term stability and sustainability of their communities,” said Jenefer Stewart, ANZ General Manager Business Banking.

 

“Over the past 20 years, ANZ Seeds of Renewal has helped more than 800 community groups bring local projects to life and it’s a program we are really proud of,” she added. 

 

The grants are provisioned with the support of the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR), with Natalie Egleton, FRRR CEO, noting that these grants “will give communities a much-needed boost”. 

 

“Thanks to our long-standing partnership with ANZ, we are able to fund projects that we know will make a big difference to small communities,” she said. 

 

“Over the last 18 months, the impacts of drought, fires, floods and COVID-19 have challenged the capacity of communities and the not-for-profit organisations that support them to thrive. Gaining access to this funding will make a huge difference for these local organisations and their communities.”

 

Since being established in 2003, ANZ Seeds of Renewal has awarded $5.25 million to more than 800 projects. The 2022 program will open for application in early July. To learn more about the criteria, please see here

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