HVO FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR UPPER HUNTER COMMUNITY PROJECTS. APPLICATIONS OPEN TODAY.

Not for profit community groups in the Muswellbrook and Singleton shires can gain funding for their community and environmental projects from Hunter Valley Operations’ (HVO) latest community grants round.

Environment and community officer Merri Bartlett said the grants program is one of the ways the local mining company seeks to support the communities in which it operates.

“As well as providing local jobs and an injection into the local economy through local businesses and suppliers, we think it is important to support local initiatives that make our community a better place for people to live and work,” Ms Bartlett said.  

“We also support the Jerrys Plains Public School Jerrys Juniors and Ready4School pre-school programs,” she said.

Grants are awarded twice a year. The first round of grants for 2022 were awarded in June. Eight projects shared almost $32,000 in funding.

·      Eastern Branch ASHS Championships and Performance Weekend – Australian Stock Horse Society Eastern Branch 

·      Singleton Business Awards – Business Singleton

·      Fun Factory – Early Links Inclusion Support Services

·      Jerrys Plains bicentennial celebrations – Friends of St James Church 

·      Jerrys Plains bicentennial celebrations – Jerrys Plains Public School P and C

·      Mental Health First Aid course – Jerrys Plains School of Arts Hall 

·      TrioBike taxi for residents – Mercy Services

·      Replacement archery targets – Glen Gallic Shooting Club

One of those grants funded five Jerry’s Plains’ residents to complete a two-day Youth Mental Health First Aid course for adults working or living with adolescents. Delivered by Phillipa Baker from Ripple Effect Wellbeing, the course covered topics such as adolescent development, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, psychosis and suicide prevention.

Ms Bartlett said drought, flooding and COVID 19 impacts in the Upper Hunter have shone a spotlight on the importance of good mental health, including for young people. 

“The feedback from residents who did the course was very positive. They said they took away practical skills to apply to their relationships with their children and other young people.”

HVO has provided more than $330,000 in funding to 75 projects since its grants programme began in 2018.

To make an application visit https://hvo.smartygrants.com.au. Applications close on September 30.

Hunter Valley Operations operates the HVO South and HVO North open cut coal mines at Lemington, near Jerrys Plains. Its 1,240 strong workforce mines some of the highest quality thermal and semi-soft metallurgical coal for export.