Council is offering more than $350,000 in grants and financial assistance to the Camden community, as part of the $113.8m Stage Three COVID-19 Community Support Package.

There are three different grants available for the community to apply for, including:

1. Cultural Activation Grants, with $70,000 available for cultural activation projects in businesses and public spaces;
2. Sports Grants, with $135,000 available for sports clubs for programs to use for improvements to improve clubs’ capacity and resilience post COVID-19; and
3. Expanded Community Grants, with $150,000 to be provided to community groups who are focused on building community and resilience.

Applications for these grants are open from 5pm today (Wednesday 17 March), until Monday 19 April.

To take the community through the grant application process; provide assistance with writing applications; as well as answer any questions about the grants and financial assistance on offer, Council has scheduled two Zoom information sessions. They will be held on:

• Monday 29 March, 6pm; and
• Tuesday 30 March, 10am

Mayor of Camden, Cr Theresa Fedeli, said she expected to see some very worthy applications come through.

“The aim of this round of grants is to promote community wellbeing and encourage social connections throughout the local community, addressing issues such as social isolation, community welfare and mental health,” Cr Fedeli said.

“We also want to really activate the arts and culture of Camden. We want our spaces to be alive with performing arts, music and activities; we want to see people out and about connecting; and we want to encourage our artists of all ages.

“I look forward to seeing the funded projects come to life and seeing some worthy initiatives supporting our local creatives and businesses.”

Camden’s Cultural Performance Subsidy program will expand to include Julia Reserve in 2021 and will be announced shortly.

For more information on the grants and financial assistance available, including the criteria for each grant, visit www.camdenrecoverypackage.com.au. Residents will be able to apply for the grants they are eligible for from this page also.

For more information on Council’s response to COVID-19, as well as what other support is available, visit camden.nsw.gov.au/covid-19-support