Pick My Project is a Victorian-first community grants initiative, with at least $1 million in funding available in each metro and regional area. Voting is quick and simple, and open until 5pm, Monday 17 September.
Many Bendigo Projects are competing for a helping hand and here at 3556 Magazine we wish them all well.
We thought our local community could get behind the projects that would directly impact on them.
Below are just a few profiles of the projects in our local area that can be voted for via the website:
Drill Dance Long Gully: Drill Dance provides fun, friendship and confidence to many members of our community. Our teams represent Bendigo on the National stage and without assistance some families are excluded from this. We would love to provide Drill Dance scholarships to people from our community that otherwise wouldn’t be able to take part in activities such as these. Providing confidence and inclusion to children and adults that are excluded from more mainstream sporting teams would boost confidence and a sense of community for our families. Many people want to participate in activities but just can’t afford to.
A Sensory Garden for the Eaglehawk Community: A peaceful, beautiful space for everyone to enjoy and relax. We aim to transform the existing grounds of our local church into a functional, peaceful and attractive sensory garden. In sensory gardens, plants and other design elements are selected with the intention of providing experiences for heightened sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste. These types of gardens are popular with and beneficial to both children and adults, especially those who have sensory processing issues, including autism and other disabilities. Children with disabilities greatly benefit from exposure to sensory gardens, as they provide a therapeutic and safe way for them to explore their senses.
Aside from the therapeutic emphasis, all members of our community will have access at all times. We envisage a place to come and relax, to have lunch or a picnic, to ponder and play.
We see local art incorporated in the design, unique features and wonderful photo opportunities. There will be an all access children’s playground to promote community and family interaction.
Being on the church grounds it will also provide space for spiritual nourishment along the themes of beauty and creation.
The specialist nature of the garden could attract visitors and have economic benefits for local retailers as well.
Bendigo Family Hub: One-stop facility dedicated to resources, activities and programs for families.
The Bendigo Family Hub is an idea created by the “Parents for Change” group. We found that many families were missing opportunities or finding it hard to find information they needed in our community. Parents often seek advice from other parents before finding help from professionals. Our Hub will be run by trained parents to assist families.
The Hub will be a family drop-in centre that will provide programs, information and resources for both children and parents. We will support fun and exciting learning, play, dance, and reading opportunities, including Literacy Champions training and sponsoring a local Literacy Tram.
The service system is increasingly complex for families to access. By supporting families with children to navigate the system, we’ll be helping free up those services, getting families where they need to go faster. It will be a one-stop-shop for families to connect with services in a safe and supportive environment. An amazing opportunity for parents to up-skill and volunteer in the Hub, leading to future employment opportunities. Equipping and empowering families with information and resources to support raising their children and running literacy programs that address current low literacy levels in our community – creating social connections.
