Successful Applicants 

The application process and allocated funding for round two winners of Stronger Communities Grants is now finished. See the individual projects of our successful applicants below. Click on each organisation’s link to find out more about their projects and how they’ll benefit our community.

OrganisationProject NameAllocation ($)
Autism Spectrum Australia ASPECTBikes for kids with autism in Vern Barnett School5,106.90
Bike play is vital in supporting the sensory needs of children with autism. Our project will provide safety bike play activities for children with autism in the Northern Beaches.  Buying Go-Karts & balance bicycles for the students to use during their outdoor recess time and PDHPE lessons that include Personal Health Choices and Road Safety Rules.  We need go karts that take the weight of our secondary students as well as balance bikes for our junior students. We currently have an array of broken bikes that the students are not able to access safely. Bikes allow us to teach a variety of skills beyond just riding them; learning to take turns, learning to wait, learning the safety rules, understanding how the bike works. This project received partial funding.
Avalon Beach Historical Society Incorporated9th Great Historic Photographic Exhibition5,150
The project is an event which will be open to residents and visitors for the four days of the June long weekend in 2018.  There will be 25 large display stands featuring 900 historic photographs illustrating many eras and aspects of the northern beaches. A monitor will show continuously moving footage of early eras of our history such as an edition of Brian Henderson's "Bandstand" shot on Avalon Beach in 1965 and a documentary produced by the Society on the history of Barrenjoey Headland. There will also be examples taken from our extensive oral history audio cassette tapes played as a background during the exhibition and some early residents will be available to share their memories and recollections of the area with visitors.
An excellent 1/12 scale model (standing 600mm high) of one of the early lighthouses known as Stewart Towers which predated the present stone lighthouse on Barrenjoey Headland by 13 years will be on display also.  There will be reproduced early photos, historic panoramic bookmarks, calendars featuring historic photos and several publications available for sale at the exhibition. With the assistance of a grant the Society would be able to extend the opening hours of the exhibition to enable school students during school hours access to an unprecedented extensive local history lesson.
Change Creators Inc.One Million Coffee Cups10,000
This project received partial funding.
One million coffee cups are thrown away every minute in Australia. 
The One Million Coffee Cups project is a three-phase community education and behaviour change campaign to stop one million disposable coffee cups from going to landfill.
Phase 1: Responsible Coffee Shop Program
A membership-style program will engage coffee shop support to reduce takeaway cups. Participating coffee shops in hubs along the Northern Beaches will display a program logo, reduce the price of coffee for customers who bring a cup and provide monthly data on the number of cups brought in. These cafes will receive marketing collateral, support through traditional and social media, promotion via the One Million Coffee Cups website, recognition of their achievements through the awards program and increased media exposure.
Phase 2: Consumer Coffee Cup Challenge
The Northern Beaches community (clubs, groups, local businesses and individuals) will be targeted to accept a 'coffee cup challenge'. Participants are challenged to take their own cup for a day, week or month to a participating responsible coffee shop (or give up coffee), uploading photos on social media as evidence (also promoting these cafes). 
Phase 3: Community Event
The ""Coffee Run"" is an event run simultaneously across the whole of the Northern Beaches. Registered participants bring their own cup from 9am-11am, take a photo in front of their favourite responsible coffee shop and receive a free coffee.
All cups 'saved' in the three phases of the project will be tallied on a central website, the main landing page for the campaign.
 
Curly Community GardenCurly Community Garden Food Forest Project15,000
Food Forests are mini ecosystems comprised of up to 7 layers of different edible species. Every plant within the food forest enhances other plants' production in varying ways. The seven layers are canopy (large fruit and nut trees), low tree layer (dwarf fruit trees), shrub layer (currants and berries), herbaceous layer, rhizosphere (root crops), soil surface (ground cover crops) and vertical layer (climbers, vines). The plants in food forests are carefully selected to provide delicious food for humans, while creating a mini ecosystem that requires little maintenance and functions independently, where different plants support each other (for example, nitrogen fixing beans are vines that might use sunflower plants as a structure to grow on).
The proposed forest will have approximate dimensions of 20m x 5m, comprised of taller trees in the back and smaller trees in the front, all placed in a zigzag arrangement, with multiple layers of undergrowth (including native bush tucker plants). A path will wind through the forest. A mini food forest (a banana circle) will be established in the northwest corner of the site. Guttering and a down pipe will be attached to the existing shed and connected to a small rainwater tank that will be installed beside it.  A simple irrigation system will be set up. The forest will be raised with edging constructed from second-hand materials such as bricks. Products such as hay, soil and mulch will be purchased to create healthy soil. Trees, shrubs and seedlings will be purchased.
Disabled Surfers Association of Australia (Sydney Branch)Beach Access Matting & Trailer17,996.80

Purchase beach access matting & an enclosed trailer for storage. ‍The access matting would provide accessibility for any person to negotiate the sand & get to the water/ocean easily & safely.

Fighting Chance AustraliaStronger employment pathways for people with disability on the Northern Beaches50,000
Fighting Chance is a local, grass roots not-for-profit disability service provider that has grown up on the Northern Beaches. From humble beginnings supporting eight clients in our tiny Brookvale office (opened in 2011), we now support over 170 people with disability from the Northern Beaches to access vocational participation and employment opportunities through two innovative social enterprises located in Frenchs Forest.  One of these enterprises, Jigsaw, is an information management and digitisation business. Jigsaw works with public and private sector clients to help them go paperless, increase efficiencies and save on costs. As a result of performing this commercial work, Jigsaw is able to provide training and learning opportunities, and create jobs at Award wage for people with disability in our community. 
Since January this year, Jigsaw has relocated and doubled in size and capacity to support young adults with disability on their pathway to employment. This, coupled with winning the contract for providing digitisation services to Northern Beaches Council has meant a period of rapid growth which now needs to be consolidated. We are seeking support to scale up our scanning infrastructure to meet the growing demands of our clients, including NBC, which will in turn create more jobs at Award wage for people with disability. We are also seeking support to fund our growing Work Experience Program for young adults with disability, which we provide free of charge to participants, and is a vital stepping stone to employment for some of the most marginalised in our community.
Fisher Rd School P&C AssociationExplore for All28,200
This project received partial funding
Fisher Road School is working towards designing and creating a functional, interactive, outdoor learning space to cater for diverse abilities of students with disabilities and our visitors. Fisher Road envisions an all inclusive playground which enables all students to play side by side. It would meet the needs of all students meeting their physical and sensory needs. The installation of this playground equipment will support an environment that is inclusive of all abilities and is accessible for students with high support needs, additional needs and for students with behavioural difficulties who have trouble accessing playgrounds in the local community. Students learning and play needs will be met by this newly designed structure. It will be safe, accessible, interactive and fun utilised by the school and the community. Fisher Road school has enrolled pre-school aged to high school aged students and therefore this project will support a larger age demographic.
Lifeline Northern BeachesNorthern Beaches Suicide Call Back Service22,584
The Call-back Program provides short-term support of between one to three phone calls from the Lifeline Northern Beaches Coordinator to clients who have called for help, to assess their current risk and situation, their potential for ongoing phone support and they are provided referrals and links to appropriate resources that exist within their communities.  Last year our centre answered 62,066 calls for help. Crisis supporters checked the safety of all help seekers to enable them to discuss the taboo subject of suicide. The callers presenting crisis include domestic violence, self-harm and children at risk with suicide the main issue of calls. The shift supervisors worked with the crisis supporters to facilitate a safe outcome for these callers. One of the highest indicators of risk of suicide is a past attempt – with a number of callers indicating they had previously attempted suicide.
Manly Warringah Women's Resource CentreNorthern Beaches White Ribbon walk5,000

The NBDV Network held it first White Ribbon on 23/11/2016, this event was highly successful and the committee plans to hold this event annually. The walk commenced at Queenscliff Surf club ended at the Corso Manly where the Lions Club of Manly provided breakfast for all participants. This event was attended by approximately 300 walkers. The committee set up an information tent for all community members to have access to information on Domestic and family violence and relevant service providers. The committee would like to be able to purchase a branded gazebo to use for this event and other community events. The committee would like to order a reprint of the resource 'Charmed and Dangerous"" this booklet provides extensive information on domestic and family violence, this resource will be shared among local service providers. We would also like to purchase branded merchandise like canvas bags, pens, cards, key rings etc these will also be used at local community events. The committee aims to participate in more community events like holding markets stalls and being present at other community events. 

Manly Women's ShelterMWS Internal Bedroom10,360

The MWS opened our doors in 2010 with 13 beds. Since that time 7 years ago, we have had over 300 women stay with us. Originally the beds were donations from the community and were second hand at the time we received them.  They are now showing wear and tear and the mattresses are worn and becoming uncomfortable. We are looking to replace the existing old beds and bases with new ones. This grant would enable the purchase of 13 x new single beds and bases.

Mona Vale Golf LimitedWetland Rehabilitation25,106.90
This project received partial funding
Mona Vale Golf Course gathers storm water runoff from a catchment area of 142 hectares. Apart from gross debris, litter and nutrients, an estimated 26 tonnes of sediment enters the course annually. Gross pollution traps have been installed to improve capture at source, but existing ponds and waterways are heavily silted and require rehabilitation to improve water quality and biodiversity. It should be pointed out that our ponds and waterways constitute one of only five freshwater wetlands in the LGA. Over the past 12 months we have created an environmental management plan for the entire course in conjunction with Ecological Consultants Australia. This plan encompasses all the various actions required to protect, restore and preserve these fragile areas on behalf of the community. These areas contain a rich variety of flora, fauna and some threatened species. The Club is totally committed to the progressive implementation of the plan as funds become available. For example, last year we received a grant to rehabilitate an existing pond and associated creek line that had been heavily compromised. The completed project has delivered a wetland of high quality. If successful with this application it is intended to work on a major creek line on the 9th hole and the adjoining sediment capture pond, both of which require considerable remedial work. Our course biodiversity plan includes site-specific, detailed drawings and specifications which will direct the project's execution.
Northern Beaches Indoor Sports CentreNBISC lighting Upgrade6,800
This project received partial funding.
NBISC is a major user of electricity, primarily for lighting, cooling and hot water. In 2012 the business was spending $36.9k on power and gas. NBISC invested $48k in replacing all incandescent bulb lighting with a fluoro tube system. In 2016 it replaced all gas hot water heating with electrical. It also installed $30k worth of solar panels on the roof. These two projects have worked well. Electricity usage and costs are both below 2012 levels despite a 50% increase in the size of the facility. In order to continue saving electricity while improving the facility NBISC plans a $15k upgrade to its lighting systems. This will involve replacing all 5 year old fluoro bulbs with new, lower energy intensity equipment and painting the dark walls at the end of each court white. We believe this will give us an additional 7-10 years of above standard lighting levels while further reducing power use. 
NSW Justices Association IncorporatedI need a JP5,260

Northern Beaches Council area is expanding and the NSW Justices Association (Northern Beaches Branch) wants to ensure the ongoing convenient access to our Community JP Desks across our Council area. To ensure this we need more volunteer JPs to be encouraged join the Association for free training, insurance and support, all ensured as members. We intend, as in other areas of NSW to hold 'Open Days' where training and demonstrations are held to encourage JPs and members of the public to become JPs becoming benchmark trained and supported Desk Volunteers.

NSW State Emergency Service - Manly Warringah Pittwater UnitUpgrade of AV Facilities27,676.96
This project will replace the ageing and out of date Audio Visual system at the Warringah Pittwater Headquarters building. The old system will be removed and new equipment will be professionally installed by qualified AV installers. The AV system provides a platform for a range of functions including: 
  • training courses for our volunteers
  • webinars both inbound and outbound
  • In Emergency Operational mode the screens display information about job queues, weather reports and TV news
  • videoconferencing to SES HQ and other NSW Government emergency service locations.
Our current AV system is sadly lacking, this grant will bring it into the 21st century and enable high quality training and communications. Our volunteers will receive better quality training and be better equipped to deal with emergency situations in the Northern Beaches Council area once the new AV system is installed.
Peninsula Community Gardens Inc.Community Garden Expansion17,400
Peninsula Community Gardens Inc. will use this grant to build a vibrant community hub. This hub will be a space in which we aim to promote sustainable practices and ecological awareness. We want to build upon our existing community garden by improving infrastructure and implementing systems to become more sustainable these include: 
  • Installing an irrigation system and timer which would allow us to conserve water through strategic watering, as well as other water saving practices such as mulching.
  • purchase all the necessary tools and equipment which will enable all members to participate safely and productively - eg Watering cans, hand tools, rakes, spades, gardening gloves, first aid kit, secateurs etc.
  • purchase consumables and ancillary items to be used to care for our worm farms, compost, soil, seedlings and plants - eg. mulch, dolomite, plant labels, stakes etc.
  • build a website which promotes and educates our local community about sustainability and encourages community connection and participation.
Permaculture Northern BeachesThe Green Home24,806.90
This project received partial funding.
The Green Home project aims to enable Northern Beaches residents to reduce the ecological footprint and running costs of their homes. This would be achieved using a combination of behaviour change strategies, skills transfer workshops and promotion of sustainable technologies and innovations targeting the following key areas: 
  1. Sustainable Building - retrofitting buildings, new builds, eco-friendly materials and zero waste including discarded waste material and materials to avoid.
  2. Technology and Innovation - renewable energy and energy storage (batteries) options in your home for electricity and water heating; energy efficient design principles and water efficiency and irrigation.
  3. Organic Living - growing your own food, soil health, composting, maintaining biodiversity including native plants, native bees and habitat.
  4. Non-toxic homes - plastic free, chemical free garden, non-toxic products and materials in your home.
The project would be delivered via:
  • provision of educational and hands-on workshops
  • community outreach at local markets and events
  • production and dissemination of educational materials
  • a month long focus of activities during Sustainable House month in September 2017 and 2018
  • open gardens and homes as examples of sustainable living
The issue of “How to create a sustainable home?” has been identified as a key area of interest within our membership and the wider community. We are frequently asked for information and workshops on this topic. The Green Home project would meet this community need , deliver environmental benefits and help unlock clear economic advantages to residents such as energy and water savings, reusing materials and avoiding re-processing and landfill costs.
Pioneer ClubhouseThe Hub29,137
To address a gap in employment by people suffering mental health Pioneer Clubhouse is expanding its transitional employment program over 2018 and 2019 with the provision of a computer and technology driven-equipment training hub and the development of Transitional and Supported Employment Network (TSEN).  The project will be undertaken in 3 stages and funding is required to assist with 2 components of the program.  The 3 stages will consist of: 
  1. Competency audit of members and the identification of skills gap and employment opportunities.
  2. Provision of training courses to upskill members for preparation to re-enter the workforce. Courses will be delivered through a combination of face-to-face and online courses to ensure effective and focused delivery. Courses will be provided in a dedicated training hub. Equipping the Hub will require funding for technology driven equipment: 5 new dedicated desk top; computers and software; 3 iPads; a Smart Till.
  3. Development of a Transitional and Supported Employment Network (TSEN). The development of a transitional and supported employment network (TSEN) will be dependent upon identifying local businesses within the local area willing to provide transitional or supported employment positions for skilled members.   
Funding is required to engage a contractor to work alongside members to:
  • Identify and engage with local businesses, which match members skill base;
  • Encourage and assist these businesses to form a collaborative employment arrangement;
  • Initially assist members to placements.
Rainbow ClubSwim the Warringah Rainbow 20175,000

Helping children with a disability to learn to swim and be safe in the water. We will do this by providing individualised lessons at an affordable price so that children with a disability get access to qualified teachers to help them develop a life skill.

Rotary Club of Dee Why Warringah Inc.Community Welfare – Mental Health First Aid Courses5,000
This project received partial funding
To provide professionally organised Mental Health First Aid courses for the local community on the Northern Beaches. It will be relevant for community workers, community volunteers as well as family members who come into contact with people with mental health issues or have psychotic episodes. Topics include suicidal behaviour, acute stress reaction, panic attacks, depression, acute psychotic behaviour and substance abuse. The course will also teach skills how to deal with bullies. Each course will run for 4 consecutive evenings for 3 hours. A fully qualified & accredited trainer will conduct the course and a certificate will be presented upon completion. The project will result in improved community awareness, skills and better all-round community health.
Scotland Island Residents AssociationSIRA Water Booking Automation36,800

Residents of Scotland Island are dependent on a piped water supply from the mainland whenever their collected rainwater runs dry or if they do not have a water collection facility. At present, there is a very labour-intensive manual system of timed water bookings, meter readings, billing and payments. This project seeks to automate and improve many of the booking, recording, billing and payment functions.

Special Olympics Australia (Sydney Northern Beaches Region)Special Olympics Festival of Sport8,000

The event is a bi-annual activity held on the Northern Beaches organised by the Special Olympics Sydney Northern Beaches Regional Committee. The venue is the Lakeside Caravan Park North Narrabeen which has been selected for its most suitable accommodation and location with good nearby facilities for the planned activities. The opportunity for people with intellectual disabilities to participate will be extended to 150 including carers on a 1 to 4 ratio. The target participants will be a mix of lower functioning people who do not generally have the opportunity to be part of a travelling team or attend major events plus a number of higher ability levels from our Athlete Leadership Program as mentors and in support roles. Activities are designed to encourage camaraderie through team building and sportsmanship. Activities will be modified to suit the ability levels of participants specifically in the sports of cricket, T ball, Volley ball and Bocce. Water activities will include swimming in the ocean pool, kayaking on the lake and paddle boarding. Volunteers support will be provided by the local sports high school students, local surf club and law enforcement officers cooking BBQ lunch. Social activities will also be conducted in the evening where again the emphasis will be on working together to achieve an outcome. The week-end concludes with presentations and athletes and support people providing their thoughts on the week-end so that continual improvement is achieved thus ensuring the needs and expectations are met.

StreetWork IncorporatedPRIDE Empowerment Program16,950
This project received partial funding
PRIDE is a crime prevention strategy that pairs young people that have had contact with the criminal justice system or are ‘at risk’ of becoming involved in crime, with a positive adult role model. The objective is to reduce offending/re-offending behaviour by promoting protective factors in young people’s lives through social bonding; community involvement; and skills development. The 8-week program is specifically designed to empower ‘at risk’ young people and will be delivered in partnership with StreetWork mentors, professional psychologists (like Headspace) and qualified fitness instructors. Each participant will be engaged in a trusted one-on-one relationship-building environment, with the aim of developing the following empowerment skills: 
  • Building Rapport
  • Ownership, Accountability, and Responsibility
  • Positive Thinking; Positive People
  • Overcoming Fear; Encouraging Failures
  • Self-Actualisation; Reward
PRIDE intends to address crime and community safety, with ABS statistics showing that 104,835 offences were committed by young people aged 10-19 in Australia in 2011. Since young people are neither fully developed, nor entrenched within the criminal justice system, Juvenile Justice interventions can help foster desistance from crime. PRIDE will enable each young person to gain confidence and acquire cognitive/physical skills to turn their lives around. PwC has validated StreetWork’s social case for assisting ‘at risk’ young people who interact with juvenile justice (PwC 2013-2017). Whilst StreetWork’s KickStart Mentoring Program and advocacy services support young people to break their cycle of involvement with Juvenile Justice, the organisation recognises the need for a program focused specifically on crime prevention.
Sydney Metropolitan Wildlife Services Inc.Waratah Park Wildlife Monitoring Project5,629.54

The Northern Beaches Branch of Sydney Wildlife runs and maintains a wildlife rehabilitation facility within Waratah Park, Duffys Forest.  The Park is used for the final stage of care for a wide variety of animals that have been nursed back to health, or raised from babies, by our volunteers in their own homes. At any given time the Park will house kangaroos, wallabies, possums, kookaburras, gliders, lizards, turtles, and more.  Our project aims to provide 24 hour/7 day a week monitoring of these animals using 3G camera surveillance which can send images and small videos of the animals behaviour directly to our dedicated team.  The cameras will be invaluable in monitoring those animals that are most active at night, and our raptors, which may sit motionless for hours if they know someone is watching them. The animals are brought to the Park for a final assessment of their readiness for release. Unobtrusive monitoring is also essential for the dehumanising process.

The Burdekin AssociationYouth Support and Intervention Project48,050

It is recognised that the suburbs within the northern section of the northern beaches are under resourced in respect to support services for young people and their families. The vision is to provide a permanently based youth support/referral hub in this area, designed with community consultation to ensure it best meets the need of the community and to be staffed by the multiple agencies that already support the Northern Beaches community, a collaboration of community services. 

The Cottage Counselling CentreTeen Anxiety Workshop5,000
This project will include the creation of an education and support program targeted to 13 - 18 age group who identify with anxiety. This program will look broadly at causes, symptoms and managing anxiety with a special focus on youth who are struggling to cope with the pressure of HSC exams. In addition to gaining an understanding of the physiology of anxiety, the 6 week program (Total of 12 hours) will provide:
  • strategies to identify escalating anxiety
  • ways to cope and manage anxiety
  • connect with peers in a supportive environment
  • open the discussion about the risk of suicide at times of high anxiety and stress
One key benefit is that once this program has been created, it can be run on repeated occasions across multiple locations, i.e. this is not a single use program, but one that may be rolled out across the Northern Beaches.
The Link Church IncorporatedEvents By The Lake8,700
This project received partial funding.
Events by the Lake will be held centrally on the Northern Beaches at Lakeside Park in North Narrabeen. These events would be held initially at Easter & Christmas with 1 other event for youth held throughout the year. The funding requested would assist in replacing and renewing equipment used to co-ordinate the significant community events and enabling us to co-ordinate a major youth focused event.
Tibetan Friendship Group Australia IncorporatedPray for World Peace Event$5,285

The Pray for World Peace event is held annually by the Tibetan Friendship Group (TFG) in celebration of World Peace Day. Last year the event was held at St David’s Uniting Church in Dee Why, with attendees paying a ticket cost and proceeds covering the costs of event, and remaining proceeds going towards TFG projects for Tibetan refugees. This year, the TFG wants to showcase the talent in the community and different cultures, in addition to different faiths, by having performances from groups in the community, particularly from youth. In the past, performances have only been Tibetan and have not showcased the array of cultures and people in the community and have not been a prominent part of the event. The TFG also wants to extend the reach of the event by having even more people in the community attend which has in the past been restricted due to the venue and ticket cost. By expanding the venue and forgoing ticket costs the event will have a much greater impact in the community.  The purpose of the event is to unite the community through prayers, performances, food, speeches, and more. During the event, attendees have the chance to meet one another, celebrate each other’s cultures and faith and the diversity that is present within the community. The event will bring together different people, cultures and faiths in the community to celebrate our harmony and talents.

Wheelchair Rugby League Australia Inc.Northern Beaches Wheelchair Rugby League50,000

To establish an organised sport on the Northern Beaches that caters for people with disability and promotes equality and inclusiveness in the Northern Beach community. This funding application is for the acquisition of 10 wheelchairs, to establish a player base and manage the ongoing costs of the competition for one year.  The proposed NRL Wheelchair Northern Beaches competition will encourage local participation and provide local players with the ability to graduate to representative sport, including the State of Origin and representative competitions for Australia (including the wheelchair Rugby League World Cup). The sport is inclusive because it allows athletes with disability to compete with/and against able-bodied players. The Northern Beaches competition will be established with the support of Sargood on Collaroy, the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, and the National Rugby League (NRL).  Games will be played at the Northern Beaches Indoor Sports Centre, or a similar venue with suitable facilities. The competition will involve the recruitment of players of all ages, genders and ability. The project will provide the necessary social team environment to encourage general physical health, well-being, and confidence. NRL Wheelchair has been played in Australia since 2004 and the organisation runs all-ages competitions in several local Government areas across Sydney. During that time, we have seen the positive impact that the sport has on local communities, along with the physical and mental well-being of those with disability and their associated carers and families. We welcome the opportunity to bring our inclusive sport to the Northern Beaches community.

An independent probity advisor was appointed in accordance with the requirements of the Office of Local Government. In this capacity a review of all relevant documentation was undertaken as well as reviewing any declared conflict of interest and attending all meetings at which a recommendation was the intended outcome.

Workplan Template

Successful applicants are required to submit an updated Workplan that will form part of your funding conditions. Please update your workplan and return to the Grants Officer for approval.