New Grants 2020-2021

The Cobargo Community Bushfire Recovery Fund Inc, in committee meetings held in December, February and March, has approved five new grants and facilitated one targeted donation, to a total value of $60,225.54. The successful grant applications are: Mother Mountain Forge and Galba Forge: Cobargo Community Tree Project $7,500 The grant will be used to create a memorial tree sculpture, made of stainless steel, with each leaf forged by every member of the community. Each leaf will have the creator’s name stamped into the underside as a recognition of their involvement. The Cobargo Community Tree Project will memorialise what has happened to our community, recognise what we have lost and at the same time highlight what we have gained in the strength of us all. Cobargo Public School P&C: Giving our Cobargo Children, Families and Teachers the tools to learn and heal. $10,200.00 The funding will enable the P&C to purchase a Smart TV on wheels for the Cobargo Public School library to replace the out-of-date smart board, which does not meet the appropriate standards needed to access media and Internet content. The new Smart TV will also enable the Cobargo Public School to continue working with organisations that have helped the school from the start of the recovery process, teaching the teachers strategies to help cope with the highs and lows of children suffering emotional strain and trauma. Cobargo Preschool: Growing-Growers Project with Costa Georgiadis & Paul West $12,200 Cobargo Preschool, in collaboration with Costa Georgiadis (Gardening Australia) & Paul West (River Cottage Australia), Merriman’s Indigenous Lands Council, local business, Narooma High School, Bermagui’s Moodji Farm and the Bermagui Farmers Market will deliver a range of activities to improve the preschool playscapes, support local artists, support local growers, augment regional recovery projects and celebrate community rebuilding efforts. Cobargo Showground Land Manager: Cobargo Showgrounds Support Facility reimbursement. $4,103.54 This grant will compensate the Cobargo Showground Land Manager and community user organisations for loss of capital goods provided to the recovery efforts. Some assistance to replace lost and damaged goods has been provided by the NSW Government and the Bega Valley Shire Council but the items for which the Land Manager is seeking assistance are beyond their remit. The Creative Workers and Producers of Cobargo Assoc Inc: The Painted Poles of Cobargo $10,000 The Painted Poles of Cobargo Project aims to support a community in recovery by honouring its past creative culture and rebuilding the future via a link with new art and stories. The Cobargo poles were originally painted in the year 2000 by local artists but are now quite faded. This community art project will be a sign of recovery in the main street that will engage locals and visitors, will lift morale as well as inspiring further confidence in the rebuilding of Cobargo. Cobargo Wellness Group Inc’s GINGER THE FROG – DIGITAL PROJECT In addition to the above projects, the CCBRF has facilitated a donation of $23,700 from Arndell Anglican College, Oakville, NSW. The primary-aged students of Arndell College raised the funds specifically to support the development of the Cobargo Wellness Group Inc’s Ginger the Frog project. Ginger the Frog is a Cobargo-based community arts project that is drawing on Cobargo’s bushfire experiences to develop practical tools to assist trauma recovery and promote wellbeing & emotional intelligence in children and parents. The project involves writers, artists, musicians, theatre producers, actors, designers and filmmakers from across the Bega Valley Shire and beyond, working with psychologists and trauma specialists. The digital component of this project has been developed as a collaboration between CWG and Arndell College and the funds will be used to produce a practical Digital Resource Kit for use by students, parents and teachers. The CCBRF has now approved grants to a value of $327, 867, supporting 36 community projects. Sincere thanks to all who have donated to the community fund.