Funding for the heart of rural communities is now available through Rabobank’s Rural Community Hub Program, with rural community organisations invited to seek support for upgrades to their local hall and hub facilities.
Whether a special wedding or celebration location, a gathering site for those fleeing fire, or simply the site of regular markets, community halls in smaller villages are an essential part of the New England landscape.
Rabobank has a $100,000 funding pool available, with 10 selected applicants to receive $10,000 each for improvements to their local rural hall or community hub.
The program is funded by the food and agribusiness banking specialist’s Rabo Community Fund, which since launching in 2021 has invested in initiatives designed to support the vitality and sustainability of rural and regional communities.
Eligible halls or hubs must be based in rural Australia. They must be open and accessible to the local community, providing a building or space where people come together to connect, participate and support one another through events, programs and shared activities.
Rabobank Australia CEO Caroline Oosterbaan said the bank understood the vital role of community halls and hubs in regional Australia, where they often serve as the “heartbeat” of their communities.
“The Rabobank Community Fund is pleased to provide this funding to help local halls and community hubs remain important places for community participation and engagement in rural areas,” she said.
“These halls are often key meeting places for farming communities, offering trusted spaces for locals to gather, particularly in isolated areas. They can also provide refuge and support during emergencies and natural disasters, while hosting training sessions and workshops that give communities access to valuable education opportunities.”
Ms Oosterbaan said many halls and hubs were deeply rooted in their communities, often built by locals working together and pooling resources.
“As a bank which is a global cooperative, we recognise the value of working cooperatively in local communities,” she said.
The program follows last year’s inaugural Rural Community Hub Program, which attracted almost 300 applications from communities across the country.
In Walgett Shire, the Rowena Community Hall received funding last year for new reverse-cycle air conditioning.
Local farmer and Rowena Community Association member Vanessa Radford said the hall was used by people from toddlers to the elderly, for ANZAC Day services, school concerts and presentations, CWA Christmas trees and local weddings.
Ms Radford described the hall as the “heart of the community” and said the funding had helped restore the hall and rejuvenate the community.
“The hall had previously been condemned and not used for four years, so the Program funding kick-started a full community and local council campaign to restore the well-loved building,” she said.
Funding may be used for work improving the interior or exterior of a nominated hub. Applicants must detail the building’s current use, planned work and how improvements would increase its usage.
Applications opened on Monday, July 27, and close on Sunday, August 30. Funding recipients will be announced in early October.
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