The latest round of grants from Naracoorte Lucindale Council’s Business Entrepreneurs/Innovation Fund, Community Art Fund and Community Chest Program have been announced, providing a boost of $41,767 to community organisations and businesses.

In the fifth round of Council’s Business Entrepreneurs/Innovation Fund, there were two successful applications:

• Stringybach Music which provides guitar tuition and guitar maintenance, repairs and production of boutique instruments will receive $7,500 for improvements to its workshop and display room.  This grant will support the business to offer group lessons, provide a space for jam sessions encouraging up-and-coming musicians and expand the display area to showcase their handcrafted guitars.
• Megan Heffernan Occupational Therapy for Children which works in the area of child development, infant and child mental health, developmental trauma and parent-child relationships, will receive $4,376 to purchase therapy equipment.  The new equipment will be used for the provision of targeted sensorimotor therapy for children with a broad range of physical and neurodevelopmental disabilities. Megan Heffernan Occupational Therapy for Children is the only permanently established clinic in the upper Limestone Coast providing these services.

The aim of the fund established by Council is to assist business owners to bring their ideas and plans to fruition.

In the fourth round of Council’s Community Art Fund, there were two successful applications.

• Artist Rod Bax will produce an interactive floor mural on the verandah of the Children’s Museum at The Sheep’s Back Museum in Naracoorte – a large “snakes and ladders” theme depicting local species and links to the local community.
• Artist Wayan Dudug will create a significant hand-carved sculpture depicting marine fossils of the Limestone Coast using stone from a local quarry.

Both projects received $5000 each. The Community Art Fund supports public art projects and placemaking activities that create a sense of identity under the Council’s Community Art Framework. The framework identifies local history, township identity and vibrant streetscapes, natural landscape and agriculture as important areas of interest.

In the second round of the Council’s Community Chest Program for 2019-2020, 11 projects will receive funding:

• Lucindale Historical Society - $1800 to re-roof the south side of the main museum building (former railway station) and guttering.
• Naracoorte Horse Trials - $2000 for the Naracoorte Horse Trials 46^th year event. This is the second longest running event of its kind in Australia and has become a launching pad for international eventing competitors.
• Naracoorte Kids-at-Gym Association - $1000 for the replacement of ageing equipment and introduction of sensory safe equipment for children with sensory processing issues.
• Taste the Limestone Coast Festival in Naracoorte - $1000 for flags for the Council’s FlagTrax System to assist with promoting the event.
• Naracoorte District Men’s Shed - $3000 to install wiring and light fittings to an extension of the Men’s Shed.
• Naracoorte Branch of the National Trust - $2000 to undertake repairs to a shed to display donated equipment, storyboards and labels celebrating the role played by the local district, in particular Kybybolite, towards the impact of superphosphate on subterranean clover.
• Frances Recreation Ground - $2000 for external painting of the football clubrooms.
• Naracoorte Singers - $1000 to replace choral folders required to hold music when singers perform.
• Naracoorte and Districts Little Athletics - $2000 to replace aged equipment.
• Yakka Park Music Festival at Lucindale - $1000 to hire an additional marquee to allow for an extension of the dance floor and seating space.
• Naracoorte Scout Group - $3000 to install roller shutters on the front windows at the Scout Hall.

Community Chest funding aims to assist Council with the achievement of its strategic goals and promote activities which will benefit groups within the community. The purpose of the grants is to add to, or enhance, activities for groups within the community.