I also believe all community grants should be retained. They provide important funding opportunities for smaller groups, and fund valuable programs that support vulnerable communities, while facilitating well-being and social connections to our communities. The Small Poppy and Neighbourhood Grants would allow communities to respond quickly and nimbly to changing community need and could play key roles in community recovery from COVID19

Thanks for your feedback, we will pass this onto the Councillors.

My opportunities for study to expand my knowledge and skills started in 2012, which enabled me to join community committees that have continued on to present day… The confidence necessary was fostered by continuing participation with SPCC and SHIP that need CoPP Grant programs to help them run courses and training.

Examples of the CoPP Grants used are: Neighbourhood, Art and Community Grants… Neighbourhood Grants enabled projects like ‘Picnic in the Park’ and ‘Little Free Libraries’, Community Grant; ‘Waterfront Welcomes’ & PORTogether Media sessions; Art Grants; ‘Creatures of the Bay’ Art Exhibition 2018.

Community programs are needed more during Covid-19 than before community isolation – people who now find themselves isolated who were volunteers are finding it hard to cope, image how the people with chronic illnesses are coping… It not the time for severe cut that affects mental health.

Hi Rochelle, thanks for providing examples of the positive benefits of the grants. This will be presented to Councillors for their consideration.

Emma

Reduce Community Grants to $250k and have $30k available for Neighbourhood Grants

Hi ja,

Thanks for your comments.

Emma

I feel these grants should continue as they enable Community Centres to adapt to change. Explore new ideas that can develop within the fundamental operations of centre and also help maintain community connection for its participants.

My local centre was essential in my recovery journey, personal and professional development.

Community/Neighbourhood Centres contribute to the health and well being of our society!

Hi V bill T,

Thanks for your feedback. It is great to know the supports offered by Council were helpful in your recovery journey.

Emma

It's a pity that there needs to be any reductions to the grant program and excluding funding small projects, (often pilots for greater projects) will cause delays in community progress and capacity building at a time when it's needed the most. I hope to see a continuation of the full grant program based on the same budget as 2019/20 if that's possible. As a community worker I see the benefits of the City of Port Phillip Grant program at many levels and am aware of many positive outcomes that are made possible by the support of funding.

Hi Elaine,

Thanks for your comments.

Emma

As an Arts Worker in Community Cultural programs within the City of Port Phillip since 2004, I believe it is crucial that these are continued to be funded, especially during the recovery period of COVID19.

City of Port Phillip have been a leader in cultural citizenship, community engagement and social inclusion over the last few decades, it would be a shame if this were to cease now, in a period where we will need this more than ever.

Hi Myf

Thanks for your comments, these will be forwarded to Councillors for consideration.

Emma

I am not sure if this is the right section for my query, as it's an Arts and Culture enquiry, but here goes! My organisation, Melbourne Writers' Theatre (MWT), applied for a Cultural Development Fund grant earlier this year. We understand that the CDF has been discontinued for 2020/21, and that we may now apply for less funding by submitting a Quick Response application. We are happy to have this opportunity available to us, and will indeed apply for Quick Response funding - but I am wondering why you couldn't just offer us all (ie. those of us who would have been successful in gaining CDF funding) less money via the CDF fund? The outermost limit an organisation could apply for through CDF was $12,000, and the maximum via Quick Response is $8,000. It's a lot of work to write and submit these applications, especially if you also have to approach an auspice organisation - my feeling is that it would have been easier for us as applicants, and perhaps for the Quick Response selectors, if they could have just given the successful applicants reduced funding via the CDF. I understand that the Quick Response guidelines may differ slightly from the CDF guidelines, in which case it would make sense that you have set up a newly named grant scene such as Quick Response, but at a glance the guidelines appear to be similar. // Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback on this! Clare Mendes, Company Manager, Melbourne Writers' Theatre.

Hi MWT,

Thanks for taking the time to give us your feedback regarding the changes to the grant opportunities offered to our arts community. These comments will be forwarded to the Councillors and the Arts Development Officer.

Emma

I think Dani’s comment below really covers the issues very well, so I would like to second her comments, but also add that the Neighbourhood and Small Poppy Grant programs have been essential for our community garden in being established and now maintained and expanded. We are seeing increasing interest from the community throughout the year, and year on year. However, reduced opportunities to seek funding may mean that we will not be able to keep up with this demand and offer as many people in the Port Phillip area as would like to participate the many benefits that come from community gardening. I urge the council not to reduce these funding opportunities

Thanks Fiona for your feedback.

Emma

The ability for communities to come together to respond to local needs will be essential in the recovery period from COVID-19. The Neighbourhood Grants and Small Poppy Grants are an essential mechanism for council to support this community action.

The community grants are likewise essential to the ability of community organisations to respond to local needs. We have seen the diminishing of funding for youth programs over the last decade and it would disastrous if there was further funding cuts to community organisations who work with the most disadvantaged and vulnerable in our community.

Community connection

If the COVID-19 lockdown has shown us anything it’s the importance of staying socially connected even whilst being physically distant. The funding the council supplies through its community and neighbourhood grants will be pivotal in the coming months and years to respond quickly to the recovery across the municipality! Some of the activities that have been funded through council grants have been youth arts projects, inter-generational projects, customer service training and environmental projects. The neighbourhood grants have funded community picnics, celebrations of particular villages, little free libraries and street parties. These are all important for making people feel connected to their community and build a sense of belonging to their neighbourhood.

Mental Health

All the research points towards a surge in mental ill health as a result of months of social distancing. People who were already isolated and people who suffer from chronic illnesses will be more severely affected but there are people who are finding themselves newly isolated as a result of the loss of community activities and volunteering opportunities. The council is one of the only sustainable sources of funding for these community activities and they will need MORE funding, not less, to look at innovative ways of keeping people connected whilst also keeping people physically safe.

Physical health

Some of the only affordable physical activities in the city of Port Phillip are funded through the community grants. More than ever, there is a need to get people moving and active and engage them in physical activity whether that’s through online classes or classes with limited numbers. Either way there will need to be quick turn around funding as well as the larger community grants in order to respond to community need.

Employment and skills

Courses that bring people to learn new skills are some of the most successful for building people’s confidence both socially and in terms of employment. The council plays a huge role in funding these projects and without the maintenance of the community grants there will be serious repercussions for people’s ability to re-enter the workforce in a time where competition will be fierce.

Family Violence

All the research is pointing towards a huge problem in the community of family and domestic violence. If the council wants to be able to respond quickly to these issues, it must keep all the funding available to it in order to be flexible and adaptable to community need as it arises.

We therefore recommend increasing the Community Grants program above the $280,000 in order to factor in increases in program costs but also keeping the $36,00 for Neighbourhood Grants and $10,250 for Small Poppy grants.

Hi Dani,

Thanks for your thoughtful response. You have identified some key priorities that will form part of Councils plan as our community moves into recovery. This information will be fed back to the Councillors for their consideration.

Emma

The grants gave me access to community groups which gave me feedback and confidence to do short community courses such as computing which has then given me confidence to pursue future studies in work based opportunities. Without the community ‘bridge’ I would have remained isolated and not in a position to work in the future.

Hi MW, it is great to hear that the Community Grants has provided you with the opportunity to learn new skills and access the 'bridge' to creating connections within our community.

Emma

We need funding for our groups as a stepping stone into work or study. I couldn’t do what I do without the funding for the groups I participate in.

Hi Chris, it is great to hear that previous Community Grants have supported your participation in our community.

Emma

One grants program is enough. And organisations should need to contribute matching funding or in kind contribution. It is worthwhile supporting community groups - but they need to put matching effort in themselves otherwise its just freebies which aren't value for money for the community

Hi Tim, thanks for your feedback, this will be forwarded onto the Councillors for consideration.

Emma

I'm against discontinuing Neighbourhood Grants program. I have delivered programs in Neighbourhood houses in COPP for many years and have seen so many people's lives changed for the better, particularly those experiencing disadvantage - which can be any of us at any time. These grants are crucial to quickly generating programs that meet the changing needs of the local community and work towards building pathways for people where no others may exist.

Hi Karen,

It is great to know that previous grants have had a positive impact within our community. As previously stated, we are considering the option of redirecting some of the Community Grant budget towards a quick response grant.

Emma

Supporting local community initiatives is definitely part of a council's mandate, unlike funding legal services for example. Community grants should continue. Removing or decreasing them is short-sighted and a false economy as it will impact community wellbeing.

Hi MF, thanks for your feedback, this will be forwarded onto the Councillors for consideration.

Emma

Hi, My name is Emma, Team Leader Community Capacity thanks for your interest in Community Grants. We are here to answer any questions.

I would like to see the community grants program maintained as our important project which is pending (to improve public spaces in port phillip for people with disabilities) can be done even during restrictions.

Thank you Zoe. Yes, the annual community grants can provide funding for specific programs for people with disabilities. In addition to community grants, Council’s capital works program includes projects that ensure accessibility for people of all abilities within public spaces, including the foreshore.You can contact our Access and Inclusion Team for further information: access@portphillip.vic.gov.au or phone 03 9209 6777 .

I do not support removing the Neighbourhood Grants program and it is regrettable that council does not want to increase the Community Grants program. The NGP and SPG allow council to be nimble and support great community ideas when they arise. Delays to funding often sees momentum for great ideas wane. Examples of great ideas include the Foundry Garden which has benefited from both the CGP and the NGP/SPG. The gardens are a community space and have a huge impact on sustainability and recycling of household compost as well as using volunteers to clean up and make a council space productive and attractive. The cost to council was the grant - the ongoing benefit costs council nothing and the benefits to the community are massive.

Thank you Meg. You do highlight the potential for community grants expenditure to deliver on-going benefits to the Port Phillip community, and also the potential to leverage contributions from a range of sources.

We think that in these challenging times it is very important to allow purpose funding to support the senior citizens' mental health. Ideally we'd like a budget allocated to what we plan to do in FY21 when in COVID-19 conditions such support has become even more important and we need to plan related activities now.

Please see below the problem statement. We can provide more details on our plans as required.

Members of our Association, who on average are around 90 years old, and their families are incredibly vulnerable and at risk of being exposed to mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, feeling of being isolated and useless, etc.

The following factors increase the risks of such conditions impacting our community.

Language barrier; Many of our members still find it hard to communicate in English effectively. This means that those programs available to the general population and delivered in English may or may not bring the desired outcomes.Physical disabilities and other health problems may impact the mental health of our members, as they become especially at risk when regularly involved with medical treatments, reduce their social activities, and become more isolated.Hardship experienced in early life. Many members were impacted by the events of the Second World War and other tragic events they have experienced while living in the former Soviet Union.The current level of COVID – 19 related restrictions are putting even higher pressure on the Senior Citizens who in many cases, cannot even enjoy the company of their kids and other family members.The levels of anxiety increase as the population are concerned about that high risk of contracting the virus and having a complicated form of illness due to their general health and age.

Hi Boris, we recognise that the community is feeling the impacts of the pandemic, in particular older CALD residents. We do offer a variety of services to support applicants where English is a second language and our Diversity Officer is available to engage with our multicultural community, email: access@portphillip.vic.gov.au or phone 03 9209 6777.

In addition, Council is currently planning for social recovery post COVID 19 and will be looking at initiatives to support specific cohorts that have been most impacted to reconnect, reduce social isolation and support mental health and wellbeing.

On behalf of Reclink Australia:

We do not support the removal of the quick response Neighbourhood Grants program at City of Port Phillip, as these have proved invaluable across multiple LGAs in Victoria, to assist in providing sports and recreation equipment to disadvantaged community members. The ability to have quick response funding opportunities has proven particularly valuable during the current COVID-19 pandemic, and has allowed us to get equipment quickly into the hands of community organisations and residents who need it the most. They has allowed people experiencing disadvantage who would not normally have access to such equipment to help maintain physical health and fitness at home, while maintaining self-isolation and social distancing measures.

The savings to City of Port Phillip would seem relatively small for such a valuable community program, and we encourage Council to keep this program intact.

Kind regards

Jason Harris
Project Officer, Reclink Australia

Hi Jason, thank you for your comments. Council is currently looking at potential initiatives that would support economic and social recovery, post the COVID 19 pandemic. The principle of ‘community-led’ action is a fundamental principle in recovery planning.

An option could be to direct some of the annual community grants funding to a fund which supports community initiatives in this recovery process. These could function as ‘quick response’ grants for the remaining six months of 2020, to enable Council and the community to be responsive to emerging needs and opportunities in these uncertain times.

To me if the funding is being accessed by people, I see no reason for it to be removed. As mentioned below, with regards to funding, I think we should consider a more streamlined process for the applicants in particular CALD communities and Seniors. Nothwistanding the governnance requirments (which we all support) the required documentation should be comensurate to the value of the grant.

Thanks for your feedback, as part of the implementation of Council’s adopted Community Funding Policy, we are looking at ways of reducing the red tape for our community organisations, and ensuring that the need for documentation and reporting requirements are balanced with the size of the project funded. One of the policy principles is 'proportionality’: where our program design and administrative processes are commensurate to the scale, complexity and risks associated with the funding. You can read our Community Funding Policy on this web page: http://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/community-fundin....

just shut it all down....the economy is down the tubes...the council needs to shut down everything they can and FOCUS on the basic things they are supposed to deliver...really a 20 k saving in a $200 million budget..why even employ anyone to ask these questions and collate the replies

Thank you for your thoughts. Just to clarify, the proposed budget changes would see a saving of $20,000 through maintaining the annual community grants program at $280,000, and also a further saving of $46,259 through ceasing both the Neighbourhood and Small Poppy ‘quick response’ grants. The total saving would be $66,250.

support this propsal

Thank you for participating in this forum. The valuable feedback and contributions will help Council make the best decisions for our community when finalising the 2020/21 Budget. We will be monitoring this forum daily and providing responses to comments and feedback.

What is the process. I can see you are doing community engagement now; but what are the next stages and timeframes - when will the budget be settled and work commences on things like the Community Grants Program

This current engagement process will inform preparation of a draft Budget to be released for formal community consultation mid-June to mid-July 2020. Submissions on the budget will be heard at the Council meeting on 5 August ensuring community views are considered before the final budget is presented for adoption at the 19th August Council meeting.

It would be interesting to know what the the financial saving is if you discontinue the quick response grants?

Thanks MMartin, the proposed savings for the Council Neighbourhood Program is $36,000 and Small Poppy Neighbourhood Grant $10, 250 for a total savings of $46, 250.

Good evening, it's Katrina Terjung here, Manager Community Capacity. Thank you for your interest in Community Grants. We are here to answer your question for the next 30 minutes and to hear your valuable ideas.

Hi, My name is Emma, Team Leader Community Capacity thanks for the questions.

I agree with this initiative for the next financial year. I have sat on the Community Grants Assessment panel for the past 2 years; although I am sad to see a cut in this sector, and also to see no funding for the ad hoc and spontaneous projects that can occur during the year for community groups I also understand that we need to make savings everywhere and focus on supporting all of our community during the COVID-19 crisis.