A total of twelve community groups from across Queensland will now be able to undertake their projects thanks to funding from Queensland Country Bank’s Good for Good Community Grants Program for 2023.
This year’s successful recipients come from all parts of Queensland, from as far north as Cairns, west to Mount Isa, and south to Brisbane and Ipswich. Each recipient will share in a total of $144,738 in funding to support the delivery of their project and help benefit their community in a wide range of areas, such as health, sport and recreation, education, environment, and arts and culture.
Queensland Country Bank’s CEO, Aaron Newman, is delighted to see the community’s continued interest in the Good for Good grants.
“This year, we had a record number of applications submitted and were able to dedicate even more funding towards supporting these communities and their projects. It was tough to choose just twelve recipients,” he said.
Throughout the selection process, Queensland Country Bank’s grant selection committee sought out applications from the communities that continuously support the Bank, and carefully considered how each applicant’s proposed project would support their community to continue to grow and thrive.
Queensland Country Bank has been supporting the community through a grants program since 2005, with approximately $2.5 million injected back into the community over this period of time.
“Our Good for Good Grants are very important to us because supporting the community is at the heart of everything we do. When we see so many applications, it really shows us just how important it is to help our Queensland communities as best we can, especially as they continue to support us,” said Mr Newman.
Queensland Youth Services was one of the twelve lucky Good for Good recipients for 2023, receiving $28,390 to put towards constructing a ‘Youth Shed’ in Mount Isa to create a safe and engaging space for young people.
CEO of Queensland Youth Services, Wendy Lang, said the organisation was overjoyed to receive the Good for Good Grant, which will go a long way in helping the Mount Isa community.
“We are thankful for the opportunity from Queensland Country Bank to apply for the Good for Good grant. Our Mount Isa office works with youth who are transitioning from child safety and at risk of homelessness, disengaged from school, or at risk of offending behaviours.
“Similar to the concept of a men’s shed, we were wanting to create a space where young people can engage in cultural knowledge or learn basic carpentry skills to enhance self-esteem and cultural identity, and provide positive and meaningful activities for youth to engage in,” said Ms Lang.
Ms Lang believes the Youth Shed will serve as another opportunity for youth intervention in the Mount Isa community, which combined with other services, could assist in reducing the crime rate and improve the safety of all residents.
For Queensland Country Bank, this represented a fantastic and rewarding opportunity to assist a community group in the town where the Bank originated.
“We were very glad to receive a few applications from community groups in Mount Isa, as it does hold a special place in our heart. As many know, we first started out in Mount Isa and with it being the 100-year anniversary of the town this year, it’s really special to be able to help an organisation deliver a project that will benefit many young people in the area,” said Mr Newman.
The other eleven Good for Good Community Grant recipients for 2023, include: Cairns BMX Club Inc., Burdekin Singers and Theatre Co, Saint Andrews Meals on Wheels Lower Burdekin Committee, QCWA Bowen Branch, Road Accident Action Group, Proserpine Youth Club Inc., Capricornia Catchments Inc., Althea Projects Inc., Equipping for Life Limited, Days for Girls Australia Ipswich Team, and SevGen Indigenous Corporation.