2023-2024 COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAM - COMMUNITY PROJECT GRANTS (ROUND TWO) - OVERVIEW · Report

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                        13 NOVEMBER 2023


              Grants     Grants     23/24    Recommended
             Received Recommended Budget      for Funding
                       for Funding Available

Community                                           $157.296.68
Projects -                                            * Actual
                21            15        $308,727.00
Round                                                expended
One                                                 $140,796.68

Community
Projects -
                24            13        $167,930.32     $99,459.67
Round
Two

Youth Projects Proposal

With $99,459.67 funding being recommended for Round Two projects, this leaves $68,470.65
unallocated funding for 2023/24. It is proposed to utilise this funding to respond to Council's 2023 -
2028 Corporate Plan goals and objectives that have a focus meeting the needs of our youth,
principally objective 4.3: Improve opportunities for increased inclusion of young people in community
engagement and decision-making to provide relevant services, activities, and opportunities.

Consultation through a range of programs and strategic plans has identified a growing need to better
engage with the youth in our community and respond to their identified needs. While this will be
considered and addressed through a proposed new Community Strategy, recent consultation has
highlighted the priority of this area, particularly in terms of supporting emotional and physical health
and wellbeing and creating a broader range of options for young people to develop connections
beyond a school environment. It is therefore proposed that the remaining grant funds are put towards
specific youth activities within the Living Well Noosa Program and to run an "out of round", quick
response Youth Grants Program.

The Youth Grants program would target young people aged 12–25 years of age and aims to:
   •   support community organisations to better engage with youth across the Shire;
   •   provide avenues for young people to guide the development of activities and programs
       related to their sector;
   •   provide services, activities and events that support the needs of young people; and
   •   create opportunities for young people to develop new connections.
The Youth Grants Program will foster a community-wide partnership approach to addressing social,
cultural, environmental and economic matters concerning young people, and support youth-led
creativity, entrepreneurship, innovation, active citizenship and social cohesion. Projects funded
under the Youth Grants Program would need to demonstrate how they will involve young people
throughout the different stages of the project, from issues identification, to design, delivery and
review. A higher priority will be given to organisations or groups who have engaged with young
people and involved them in the conceptual design of the project before submitting an application.
Link to Corporate Plan

Theme No. 2. - Liveability

Liveability encompasses housing, facilities and services, transport, health and wellbeing to enable
an inclusive, connected and vibrant community.