Six local not-for-profits will share in over $115,000 in funding after being selected as this year’s recipients of Stone & Wood’s inGrained Foundation’s Northern Rivers Large Grants Program.
The successful recipients, who will receive grants between $5,000 and $30,000 to help them tackle the varied challenges currently facing the Northern Rivers community, are Agape Outreach Inc, Bangalow Koalas, the Byron Community Centre, Community Owned Renewable Energy Mullumbimby (COREM), Green Heroes (representatives pictured above) and Human Nature Adventure Therapy.
Founded as a separate not-for-profit by Stone & Wood in 2018, the inGrained Foundation‘s aim is to create sustained positive change in their local area. Last year alone the foundation donated over $200,000, including $70,000 to local and state-based fire-brigades, rural fire services and drought relief efforts at the time of the 2019/2020 bushfires.
James Perrin from the inGrained Foundation said they were stunned by the level of work community organisations are doing to help others and to care for the region.
“We feel confident these organisations will address the needs of our environment and community as well as support some of the very pressing and immediate concerns in our region such as housing and homelessness,” James said.
About the recipients
Agape Outreach Inc is a street-level organisation actively working to alleviate poverty and homelessness in the Tweed Heads area and beyond. Since COVID, they have seen a 468 per cent increase in client numbers needing support. Agape will be putting their grant towards ongoing support and outreach services for people in need.
Bangalow Koalas are steadily building a koala, wildlife and reforestation corridor around Bangalow and are looking to plant over 4,000 trees in the area by August 2024. Their grant will ensure a key section of the corridor progresses within the next 12 months.
The Byron Community Centre are at the forefront of the region’s homelessness crisis. Currently renovating the Fletcher Street Cottage to reopen late this year, they will be using their grant to help provide the homeless and disadvantaged community with shelter and support in extreme weather events.
COREM install solar systems for community organisations for free, which are then paid back by the savings made on the electricity bills. The solar systems are provided interest-free and when paid back, the funding is re-purposed for the next installation. COREM’s grant is going towards a model of delivery that allows them to sustain this.
Green Heroes, that recently rescued three loggerhead turtle nests from the Fingal and Pottsville areas, built a makeshift incubator and successfully hatched and released over 150 baby turtles with a 96 per cent rate. Their inGrained funding will help them to build a proper and permanent incubator to continue to revive these endangered sea creatures for many turtle hatchings in the years ahead.
Human Nature Adventure Therapy, through their Activ8 Outdoor Youth Mentoring program, offer immersive outdoor counselling services for teens in need in the community. Their inGrained grant will support the delivery of many more one-on-one outdoor counselling sessions building mental health and resilience.
inGrained’s work in the community continues throughout the year with the help of Byron locals and visitors to Stone & Wood’s Byron brewery. For every beer sold over the bar, $1 goes towards supporting additional local grass roots charities.
Meanwhile, Stone & Wood have partnered with Rugby Australia with Green Coast Lager to be available at Wallabies Tests this year across Australia.
Green Coast will be available for the Wallabies eToro Series against France, kicking off on Wednesday 7 July at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
