Grants Case Studies

A smashing grant win is within reach

With the help of a Community Development Grant of $2,450 the Woodside Tennis Club now has amazing new kitchen equipment, blinds and a fresh paint job.

The Woodside Warriors Tennis Club has always had a strong sense of community with members enjoying social gatherings on a regular basis throughout the tennis season and so Secretary Amy Cotton applied for a grant that would benefit the whole club community.

Amy says she knew that community groups could apply for Community Development Grants of up to $2,500 to deliver innovative projects that produce positive outcomes and so gave it a go and shares the following advice for anyone thinking about applying.

What outcome were you hoping to achieve for your community space?

Amy: We were looking to create a space that is welcoming and inviting for our members by updating some of our furnishings and giving the clubrooms a new lease of life with a fresh coat of paint. The main aim of this renovation project was to encourage community members to connect and socialise before and after our games.

How did you find the process — was it easy to apply for the grant?

Amy: It was very easy to apply for this grant. We just needed to provide the background to our project and describe our activities. We had a few project ideas but decided to focus on a small project in the first instance to kick-start our renovation process.

What was the application process?

Amy: The application process is all online - you can start the process anytime and it will save your progress if you need to go away and gather information. It is important to include quotes for the work to be done but these are easy to upload on the application page.

How is the grant helping your community?

Amy: Tennis is a sport open to everyone of all ages and a range of teams play in the Hills Tennis Association competition. Having a stylish and welcoming clubroom means people tend to stay after matches for a social catch up and have fun with friends. The grant has really helped us improve our facilities and made the clubroom even more welcoming.

What has been the reaction from the community?

Amy: We are still in the process of finishing all the work as it has been the off-season for us but when we re-commence training in the next few weeks our tennis community will be able to see and utilise the renovated space.

Why would you encourage other community groups to apply?

Amy: I would encourage all community groups to apply because the process is simple, and the outcome is very rewarding. Being able to improve our clubroom, even in a small way, has been a sense of achievement for the committee and I'm sure our members will enjoy the space.

Supporting grass roots sporting clubs

The Uraidla Cricket Club is one of many committed and successful grassroots sporting clubs in the Adelaide Hills providing opportunities for the community to come together to play sport and socialise.

And now more than 70 players, dozens of volunteers and the broader community are benefitting from new safety nets at the Club's home ground in the heart of Uraidla, thanks to a Community and Recreation Facilities Grant.

Uraidla Cricket Club prides itself on its family friendly atmosphere and encourages all players, volunteers and members of the local community to make the most of the club facilities so President Ben Sutton applied for a grant for part of the cost needed to upgrade the cricket nets.

"Our club training net facility was over 12 years old, with parts damaged due to the weather and general wear and tear causing safety issues, for not only our players, but the general community using the oval facilities," Ben says.

"When applying for the grant our vision was to upgrade the facility netting to provide a safe environment for our players and the broader community who regularly use the space.

"We found the grant process extremely easy to work through and now that we have the nets our teams and the broader community are able to use the space at the same time and all stay safe."

With the 2020-21 cricket season rapidly approaching, Ben and the committee are thrilled with the new facilities.

"We have had a positive reaction from the community as we have many families from the local and surrounding area using the facilities outside of our training times as well as our teams who are getting ready for the upcoming season," Ben says.

"I would encourage other community groups to apply for the Adelaide Hills Grants as the process was easy to work through and as long as you are prepared with as much information as possible, the online application is really intuitive to follow.

"My tip for anyone thinking about applying for a grant is to get organised, don't hesitate to seek further advise if you need it and just give it a go."

How to 'snag' the perfect grant for your community project

Joan Playford and the dedicated Kersbrook Public Hall Inc. committee are living proof that the smallest gift can make the biggest difference to a hard-working community.

Joan is President of the Kersbrook Public Hall Inc. and last year she applied for a Community Development Grant of $992.40 for a replacement bbq trolley with pneumatic wheels and a range of other essential cooking accessories to support their regular sausage sizzle fund-raising efforts.

The 104 year-old Kersbrook Public Hall Inc is a not for profit community owned and volunteer run hall in the heart of stunning Kersbrook and Joan and committee members Helen Clements and Jane Biggs work tirelessly cooking and selling sausages to raise money for the upkeep and running of the Hall.

"Holding regular bbq's is a great way to raise money but it used to be too hard moving the bbq from the Hall to the front footpath, so we applied for a Community Development Grant from the Council," Joan says.

"The Hall is used regularly by lots of people, with martial arts, yoga and several dance classes during the week.

"We also have the op-shop open twice a week and donate the proceeds to the Kersbrook Memorial Park sports ground to support the whole community.

"Recently we established a multipurpose path that is used daily by tourists to access the toilets and now with the pneumatic wheels on the bbq trolley it is so much easier to move it into position to sell our sausages."

Joan has applied for a range of community grants in the past and says the Council application process is the easiest she has ever had to complete, but she does have some advice for other community groups looking to apply.

"My tip for lodging your application is that you should be precise in what you ask for so you can let the Council know exactly what is needed and how it will benefit your community," Joan says.

"The application process is really easy to follow as it is all online and you just move from one question to the next, with people at the Council available to help you if you need it at any stage.

"By modifying our bbq we are able now to have a regular income which is so super-dooper because the other committee members and I are able to balance and manage the bbq whenever the community needs a sausage sizzle.

"I would encourage anyone who needs some support for their community to put in an application."

Mapping the way forward

With so many fabulous food, retail and recreational destinations on offer Gumeracha needed its own Tourist Map brochure and a Community Development Grant in the 2019/2020 round helped make it happen.

Applications for our 2020/2021 Community Development and Community and Recreation Facilities Grants are now open and the opportunities for community groups all over the Adelaide Hills, like the Gumeracha Main Street Project, are endless.

Established in December 2016, the Gumeracha Main Street Project is a committed voluntary Working Party of twelve residents and business owners actively collaborating with the community, Adelaide Hills Council and other levels of government to undertake economic, landscape and traffic behaviour projects.

Having already invested funds into the planning process the Gumeracha Main Street Project applied for a Community Development Grant and received $949.50 to put towards the graphic design and first print run of their locally designed and written Tourist Map brochure.

Gumeracha Main Street Project member, Chelsea Lewis, says adding the grant to the money already invested meant they could support local artists to contribute to the design and artwork of the brochure.

"We worked with Peramangk Elder Ivan-Tiwu Copley who showed us where all the waterholes are and designed the waterhole symbol on the brochure and we entered into a partnership agreement with Adelaide Hills artist Rebecca Prince to use her leaf artwork as an ongoing brand mark," Chelsea says

"Every community knows where the gaps are, and if they are having conversations together about what the solutions are, I think a grant can help them deliver the solutions.

"It is really easy to apply for the grants - the questions are simple and there aren't too many of them – so give it a go."

To support other community groups to 'have a go' applying for a Community Development or Community and Recreation Facilities Grant, Chelsea has some really useful tips:

• Know your project and find the grant to fit the outcome you are looking for rather than trying to create a project to fit a grant.
• Start the process early because your application will be stronger with quotes and support letters that take time to arrange.
• Think carefully about your evaluation measures and make them achievable.

In terms of outcomes Chelsea says the Tourist Map is widely praised as a great community initiative and Gumeracha business owners and residents are embracing the opportunity to coordinate around a town brand and have deeper conversations about where they all live and work.

"Community Grants through Council are often relatively small amounts of money and while some community groups may feel they need big money it is best to just start somewhere because once you start, momentum can build," Chelsea says.

Kicking goals for the whole community

It's been another fun and successful season on the field for the Onkaparinga Valley Football Club and a much safer one for all their loyal fans watching, thanks to a Community and Recreation Facility Grant that supported the refurbishment of their goal safety fence.

This weekend the A and B teams and Under 14A boys playing finals, just like the Under 16 girls team who won their grand final last week, will be supported by a large contingent of proud local volunteers, players and parents who will be benefitting from the grant funded safety nets.

Onkaparinga Valley Football Club Member, Michael Cornish, who applied for the grant, says the refurbishment of the goal nets has made a huge difference to safety and the aesthetics of their home ground.

"The reduced risk of footballs hitting children and others as they walk to the clubrooms from the carpark is significant and the nets have also improved the visual appeal of the area," Michael says.

"The reaction from the community has been really positive – we have done a lot of work on the club over recent years and the $5000 grant, to help us finish this project, really caps it all off!"

Sport and Recreation Officer, Stacey Dutton, is excited the annual grants program is open again and can't wait to hear from sporting clubs and community groups about their proposed projects.

"I encourage all sporting and community groups to consider applying for a grant because we try and make it as easy as possible for groups to receive funding for valuable projects," Stacey says.

"Our sporting and community groups play a key role and provide such a valuable positive contribution to the hills community, but many have been heavily impacted by bushfires and COVID - with income streams taking a hit.

"These grants are a great opportunity for groups to improve or upgrade their facilities so I would encourage everyone to read the guidelines to ensure their project demonstrates community benefit and then contact us to discuss things."

Michael Cornish says he would certainly encourage all sporting and community groups who have projects that are going to benefit their communities to consider applying.

"It is the people involved in their local community that know what's best for their community and are therefore perfectly placed to identify areas for improvement and target grant funding that will deliver the greatest value," Michael says.

"My advice is to go for it because the Adelaide Hills Council made it really easy to apply and was very supportive with online and telephone support.

"It's well worth the effort and you've got nothing to lose!"

To find out more about our range of community grants, please visit our Community Grants page.