SOUTHERN Ports will donate more than $93,000 to 28 community groups across southern Western Australia in the first round of its 2024-25 community investment program.
Funds spread across the South West, Great Southern and Goldfields-Esperance regions range from sporting and creative endeavours, equipment and infrastructure upgrades, and a variety of events.
They include volunteer-run food relief organisations to theatre groups.
In the South West, Doors Wide Open has received funding to purchase a new chest freezer that will increase the volunteer-run organisation’s capacity to meet food assistance requests.
The organisation has been supporting community members facing a variety of challenges get back on their feet for almost a decade and saw food assistance requests grow 80% last year.
“Unfortunately requests for our support continues to grow,” Doors Wide Open Manager Mish Holzknecht said.
“Having a chest freezer will allow us to store pre-made meals – prepared during the budget cooking classes we run – as well as donations of frozen food.”
An educational and enthralling aerial performance about marine ecology will be performed in Albany by Southern Edge Arts with support of the Community Investment Program.
“We’ve developed the concept for Traps and Ladders by working with young people, traditional owners, historians, mental health experts, ecological advisors and a number of key artists,” Southern Edge Arts Artistic Director Annette Carmichael said.
“This is a collaborative performance that we’re looking forward to sharing with the wider community later this year.”
In Esperance, the Esperance Theatre Guild is receiving funding to install a new sound system at the heritage-listed Bijou Theatre.
Applications for the next round of funding are open until Monday 11 November.
Last year, Southern Ports invested more than $300,000 into the southern regions of Western Australia across its three rounds of its Community Investment Program.
For more information about the program visit the Southern Ports website.
