The NSW Government has announced nearly $5 million in grant funding to support Aboriginal families and communities staying safe and connected to critical services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Ben Franklin said directly investing in Aboriginal communities and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) is making a real difference to communities, many of them in remote and regional locations.
“We know that COVID has had a significant impact on our Aboriginal communities across the state,” Mr Franklin said.
“Providing funding to Aboriginal communities and ACCOs is vital to ensuring everyone across the State has access to essential services to keep them physically and socially well, while also remaining connected to the places and people most important to them.”
Mr Franklin said today the COVID-19 Aboriginal Community Response Grants Program is being extended for another three months until April 29, 2022.
Funding of between $1,000 and $10,000 will be available to ACCOs across NSW to support social, emotional and physical wellbeing, as well as responding to immediate needs in Aboriginal communities.
To date this program has funded 176 projects totaling $1.5 million to provide local responses to Aboriginal people impacted by COVID-19, particularly vulnerable community members including Elders, young people, and those with underlying chronic health conditions.
In a second program, the $3.4 million COVID-19 Aboriginal Community Partnership Support Program is supporting 19 Aboriginal organisations.
Selected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations in NSW were invited to apply for grants of between $50,000 and $250,000 in recognition of their significant role in supporting their member organisations across the state and to continue delivering community outreach services across NSW.
Mr Franklin said grant recipients were members of the NSW Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations (CAPO), NSW Stolen Generation organisations and local decision-making alliances (LDM).
BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation was funded $246,170 to provide support and connections to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQ+ people across NSW.
First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN) received $250,000 funding to provide advocacy and accessible multi-media communications to Aboriginal people with a disability as well as their families.
La Perouse Aboriginal Community Alliance received $228,600 to establish a COVID Working Group to identity areas of need across their community as well as providing increased support for mental health.
“COVID-19 continues to impact Aboriginal people and the response of Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) during the past two years has been significant. These grants will build on this by enabling local community organisations to continue and grow their important work,” Mr Franklin said.