Highways and Byways is pleased to release the final report on our 2022 Small Grants Program, showcasing the efforts and achievements of our funding recipients nationwide.
Each year, our Small Grants Program focuses on an aspect of rural and regional disadvantage where small communities and small grants can make a big difference.
Our 2022 program was focussed on ‘Healing the Land, Healing Ourselves, Together’. We chose this theme, which we had commenced in 2021, in recognition of the ongoing challenges confronting remote communities from living through the second year of a global health pandemic and the impacts of ongoing climate change, drought, bushfire and flood. We had also entered the second year of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems across the world, and we wanted to make a difference to restoring the planet.
Grants were open to communities across Australia for projects that were focused on addressing social and ecological disadvantage. We were keen to support opportunities for people to develop their communities, through practical projects focused on healing the land in holistic ways, and through new ways to enhance their knowledge and skills to sustainably manage land for current and future generations. We also placed a particular emphasis on supporting several of the projects we had funded in 2021. We had been encouraged by the calibre of these projects, but knew that many were struggling to gain momentum in a year where Covid19 restrictions and lockdowns were commonplace for many.
Forty-one grants totaling $110,964.50 were provided for projects in Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.
These grants were for a diverse range of projects, from land and water rehabilitation and restoration initiatives to projects engaging and mentoring youth. All brought the community together in some way, whether it be at local gardens or at workshops or events, and many focused on building capacity and supporting local leaders. A strong theme running through the program was the recognition and protection of Indigenous wisdom, especially in relation to land management and cultural burning.
We are pleased to share with you the outcomes of some of these projects, and extend our congratulations to project managers and participants for their achievements.
You can read the report by clicking here.
Our small grants would not be possible without the support of our donors and contributors – and we thank them wholeheartedly for their ongoing generosity.