Volunteer Grants support communities in Gympie, the Cooloola Coast and Mary Valley

Community groups in Gympie, the Cooloola Coast and Mary Valley will share in grants of $33,618 as Federal Member for Wide Bay and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Llew O’Brien recognises the valuable work of Wide Bay’s volunteers.

“Local communities throughout Wide Bay have an incredibly strong community spirit, and they simply wouldn’t be the same without the volunteers who work tirelessly through good times and bad to make their communities happier and more vibrant places to live,” Mr O’Brien said.

“I thank all volunteers everywhere for the work they do giving of their time and expertise to make the lives of others easier, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery, and I congratulate each of these organisations on the success of their applications so they can continue their work and build a stronger Gympie region.”

The grants are between $1,000 and $5,000, and will enable organisations in Wide Bay to better support their volunteers to purchase small equipment, pay fuel, transport and training costs, as part of the Morrison Government’s $20 million Volunteer Grants round, to support the crucial role that they play as Australia moves forward out of the pandemic.

The following Gympie region organisations have received funding: 

• Hope Reins – $5,000 for small appliances included a fridge freezer, oven, coffee machine and kitchen equipment.
• Gympie Golf Club – $3,000 for shade gazebos, eskies, and a new barbecue to assist volunteers at fundraising events.
• Gympie & District Historical Society – $1,500 for a sandblasting cabinet to enable volunteers to clean and restore museum collection items without handling chemicals.
• Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association Inc Tin Can Bay – $3,330 for six spotlights to be used on Coastguard Tin Can Bay vessels for search and rescue operations and navigation at night.
• Cooloola Coast Bowls Club – $5,000 to replace an old analogue television with a new digital TV.
• Cooloola Coast Medical Transport – $5,000 to assist with fuel vouchers for the organisation’s 100-plus volunteers who take people to medical appointments.
• Rainbow Beach Surf Life Saving Club – $4,788 to purchase resuscitation manikins for first aid training.
• Tin Can Bay Meals On Wheels – $5,000 to assist volunteers with meal costs and travel. 
• Kandanga Tennis Club – $1,000 for a contactless credit card payment system to use at fundraising barbecues and club events, plus fuel cards for volunteers and first aid equipment.

“Whether it’s helping people get to important medical appointments like Cooloola Coast Medical Transport, providing meals and a chat like Tin Can Bay Meals On Wheels, keeping people safe in the water like the Tin Can Bay Volunteer Coast Guard Association and Rainbow Beach Surf Life Saving Club, providing therapy like Hope Reins, or adding to our rich cultural, social and sporting activities like Gympie Golf Club, Cooloola Coast Bowls Club, Kandanga Tennis Club and the Gympie and District Historical Society – you can always be sure that volunteers will be working hard to make life better,” Mr O’Brien said.

Volunteers are integral to many Australian organisations, with more than 8.7 million volunteers across the country giving their time freely to support their communities.