Young and old will be the beneficiaries of the latest grants awarded by the Hobsons Bay Community Fund.
Eleven recipients announced last week will share $34,805 in grants.
Among them was Emma McLean Kindergarten and Day Care at Spotswood, which received $4000 for an intergenerational garden.
Emma McLean educational leader Jessica Johnstone said the kinder’s new garden would provide more opportunities for children, especially those in care for long periods of time.
“The intergenerational aspect of it is to expand that service into the community and try to connect with other people in the community who might have a skill and interest in gardening that they could share with the children,” she said.
Fund chairman Hayden Raysmith said Williamstown Community and Education Centre received $5000 for another intergenerational program where mature-age volunteers could meet children in childcare.
“It’s also creating cross-generational connections and opportunities for some of the older volunteers in the community to be able to put something back into the community, but also for younger people to hear the stories of older people,” he said.
“We’re all encouraged to be a little bit suspicious and we’re nervous about children being out on their own … so in a way it’s an antidote to some of that loss of trust.”
Other grant recipients were Laverton Community Children’s Centre, Multiple Sclerosis, South Kingsville Community Centre, Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Williamstown, St Mark’s Anglican Church in Spotswood, West Welcome Wagon, Finnish Friendly Visiting Service, Volunteer West and Carers Links Men’s Group.
The fund this year also held its inaugural Sport Inclusion Awards, recognising clubs and teams for empowering young people with a disability to participate in activities.
Goya Dmytryshchak
