Waverley Council has announced the recipients of small grants awarded to 14 local businesses and individuals, with the grants totaling in $43,938. The council has said that the funding will be going towards local projects, and is one of the ways that the council can celebrate initiatives in the community.
The Small Grants program is supporting local causes such as the annual HeadOn Photo Festival at Bondi Beach, and podcasts by Nicole Steinke which will narrate the stories of six “significant burials” in the Waverley Cemetery.
Vertical Garden for Seniors
Non-for-profit organisation COA Sydney (Connections Opportunities Activities) will be receiving a small grant, and plans to put the funding towards developing a vertical garden for elderly people to grow plants in.
Acting CEO of COA Sabina Kovadlo said that the garden is designed to “allow seniors to enjoy aspects of gardening that they are no longer able to enjoy unassisted in their own homes”. The vertical structure of the garden allows older people with mobility issues to enjoy gardening without needing to bend over.
COA Sydney provides connection, opportunity and activities for seniors. Photo: coasydney.org
Ms Kovadlo says that the food harvested from the garden will go towards making meals for seniors.
“Our hope is that this will contribute to our member’s well-being by providing sensory enjoyment, encourage easy outdoor physical activity and provide the pleasure of growing and harvesting food.”
COA as an organisation provides seniors “connection, opportunities, and activities they need to remain independent and in their own homes for as long as possible” and is currently the only Kosher provider of Meals on Wheels in NSW.
Woolltones Community Choir
The Woolltones Community Choir will be another local group receiving funding from the council to support the choir’s ongoing performances.
Member of the Woolltones Choir Julia Wright says the grant will go towards helping with expenses such as “venue hire, Musical Director and accompanist fees, insurance, publicity and purchasing scores and photocopying”, as well as other areas.
The Woolltones Choir began in 2018 with around 35 members, and has continued to gain membership, however the choir lost their music director during the pandemic. Ms Wright said that the Choir decided to re-launch in 2022, and retained aspects of the group that members valued pre-covid.
“We have remained an ‘un-auditioned, all welcome’ choir; our repertoire remains wide and varied; we have stayed at our wonderful rehearsal and concert venue; we have retained the services of our accompanist, Dewi Lui.”
The Woolltones Choir remains a diverse group, with members from a “variety of ages, backgrounds, nationalities, as well as varied musical experience” says Ms Wright.
Genus to launch educational app about sustainability
The Waverley council is also supporting Genus, a business developing a web app to provide education on sustainability for children. Jon Owen, co-founder of Genus, says that they have developed a platform that “makes sustainability fun”.
“There is no doubt that we are running out of time to save the planet, and unfortunately the kids are aware of this as well.”
The app is currently has yet to launch, with an event planned in the future to celebrate Genus and the educational platform.
Genus provides a fun learning platform for children to learn about sustainability. Photo: Facebook.
“We are going to be doing a launch event that is all about driving sustainability in the community with schools” Mr Owen said.
“We have a school platform where teachers can integrate sustainability into the curriculum.”
