Grant Success is our Community’s Success
We are thrilled to announce that Mums of the Hills has been successful in receiving grants that will build connections and strengthen community.
Storm Recovery Grant - Head Start Project
Since the COVID lockdowns, we’ve noticed an increase in the number of new residents. We welcome you into our community and wanted to give you the best head start. That’s why we created the Head Start project.
Residents across the Yarra Ranges are built tough and hills wise. We learn really quickly that there is an extra skill set to live happily in our environment. Our large and highly variable geographic area attracts many families looking for affordable homes, often on large blocks with towering trees, steep slopes and unreliable drainage.
For new residents however, the high cost of moving can preclude new home owners from investing in skills and training they had not considered needing. To mitigate these diverse risks and the detrimental mental health effects, we seek to offer community training events specific to the unique setting and culture within the hills. The main goal of these events is to build local capacity and resilience.
We will achieve this directly by helping our communities, particularly new residents become hills wise. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, we will improve the outcomes when we need it most.
Our Head Start project includes:
household plan writing with a CFA representative,
insurance mentoring with a register Insurance broker,
low-cost Mental Health/First Aid courses for at-risk community members facilitated by a trained facilitator.
postnatal groups for new mums
events for new and more established residents, offering them a chance to meet and get to know each other, essential factors for resilient communities
We are thrilled to receive this funding and grateful to the Yarra Ranges Council and Bendigo Bank for supporting this initiative. I can’t wait to announce these events in the coming months, starting with our first aid course on July 9th.