GRANT ROUND 3

Wellington, NSW

Formed in 2004, Tharpa Choeling is a registered charity of Buddhist monastics. They volunteer their time running programs and workshops for the community including Yoga, Qigong, Tai Chi, Meditation, Healing, Depression, Trauma and Anxiety, Private Counselling and Healthy Cooking classes.

The train carriage is an original Red Rattler which was brought onto the property approximately 35-40 years ago. The carriage is currently an unused space with lots of potential as a space for learning, teaching, growing together, environmental awareness and enhancing connection.

In 2013 the organisation invested in a former plant nursery where they run a range of community activities. There are no community gardens in the region and the organisation would like to expand their services to meet this need and run further programs. The grant will be used to convert the old train carriage that is situated on their grounds and build a community garden within and around it. The project is intended to increase social engagement, promote health and wellbeing and increase the organisation’s capacity to support the community.

Albany

In 2013 a consortium of home economics teachers created Live to Tell Your Story, bringing people together to showcase pathways into food and hospitality careers. They deliver three programs; 5000 Meals, dinners created by Year 7-12 students for the disadvantaged; a professional development program for teachers; and Djinda Ngardak, a week-long cultural culinary camp for 15 to 17-year-old Indigenous youth.

The culinary camps have been run since 2014 and has been developed in close collaboration with Elders, Aboriginal businesses and community leaders. The organisation plans to run the camp in November with Indigenous students from the Great Southern Region. Leading chefs and industry specialists provide knowledge and skills in the area of food and food service as well as business development workshops to foster an interest in food, food preparation and healthy nutrition; and to inspire young Indigenous participants to consider a career in the hospitality industry. Alumni from the program become role models and are active participants in future programs. The camp program will include such topics as bush foods; using Indigenous produce on the world stage; foraging; healing through art; a tree top walk; physical activities; table setting and working with traditional and not traditional ingredients. The grant will contribute to transport, accommodation, and food for 60 students to participate in the 2021 camp.

Strathalbyn and Milang, SA

The Food Embassy Incorporated was established in 2016 and is a small not for profit organisation that works with local food communities to nurture health and the environment. Staff and a volunteer committee deliver food system literacy courses and events, educational programs, mentoring, and partnerships. Their flagship program, Food Matters, offers a range of gardening courses such as the Great Grub cooking program and Grow your Own gardening course. They offer a program for local government and professionals in food system literacy/sustainable diets as well as a Compost Play workshop for young children about the importance of Compost.

The grant will support delivery of the Food Matters program in the communities of Strathalbyn and Milang, on the western coast of Lake Alexandrina. The program will be delivered in partnership with Alexandrina Council.

A 2021 trial program in these communities aimed to connect low-income families with nutritious food and create a greater sense of belonging to the rich heritage of food production in their area. This project is intended to achieve positive behaviour change with respect to sustainable eating, participating in community activities, and establishing community food sharing activities, building feelings of connection, resilience and collaboration with the local community.