By Marcus Uhe
The L’Arte Central Social Enterprise Café in Cranbourne is receiving a $1000 grant from Australia Post to put towards a wrap of their company van.
Australia Post announced grants of up to $1000 each to support the work of 356 community groups, celebrating local community connections on Monday 23 May.
The groups will share in almost $350,000 for projects such as community gardens, arts and crafts workshops, and volunteer training, after being nominated by their local postie, Post Office worker or another Australia Post team member.
L’Arte Central is a non-for-profit café, florist and art space that provides employment, training and participation opportunities to vulnerable and at-risk youth.
Director of L’Arte, Anthony Cheeseman said the recognition meant more that the financial benefit, as the responsibility of designing the wrap will be handed-over to the group of NDIS participants involved in a Monday afternoon training program at the café.
“This is a great way of involving young people,” Mr Cheeseman said.
“It’s not really about the $1000, it’s more about what we’re doing with it,”
“There’s no branding at the moment and it’s been an effort to think about it. It’s something that’s been pushed to the side.
“We do lots of deliveries in the local area and it will be good to get our name out there even more in the community.”
Australia Post Head of Community Nicky Tracey said the program took a grassroots approach, with team members encouraged to offer a nomination based on their own personal connection to a local organisation.
“With more than 4000 post offices around Australia, and delivery teams travelling to the furthest corners of the country, we understand the importance of the connections our people have with the communities we serve,” Ms Tracey said.
“These grants give us an opportunity to support what matters to our team members, and to help them to help others in their local community.
“We are delighted that so many of our people around Australia were keen to make a difference and nominated an organisation close to their heart for a grant.”
Recipients include non-profit groups across metro, regional and remote areas and in every state of Australia, with more than half awarded in regional and remote communities.
Since 2018 more than 1,350 grants totalling more than $842,000 have been awarded as part of the Australia Post program.
The full list of Australia Post’s 2022 People of Post Grants recipients, listed by state and location, and more information about the grants program is available at: auspost.com.au/popgrants.
Australia Post will also launch its 2022 Community Grants program in June, with organisations able to apply for funding for projects that support mental health and wellbeing in local communities.
