The Weemelah Hall will be powered by the sun after securing a $10,000 grant to install solar panels, one of 20 New South Wales projects sharing $290,986 in the latest round of a national community grants program.
The money comes from the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal’s flagship Strengthening Rural Communities program, which is handing more than $1 million to 71 community-led projects nationally, worth over $2.4 million once matched by local funding and effort. The program funds projects across five cross-cutting themes, from responding to climate change and strengthening disaster resilience to supporting next-generation transition, First Nations self-determination and outback and very remote communities.
The Weemelah grant, called Powering the Weemelah Hall with the Sun, will install solar panels to improve the financial sustainability of the widely used community hall.
FRRR’s head of granting, Jill Karena, said backing practical, locally-led ideas like it was at the heart of the program.
“We’re proud to support these practical, locally-led initiatives that will help strengthen and sustain communities,” Karena said. “No two places or their priorities are the same, but common activities include upgrades to shared facilities, emergency preparedness, digital inclusion, arts and culture, and health or social participation initiatives.”
Glen Innes and Wee Waa are among the other NSW towns sharing in this round. Glen Innes’ Reachout Mobile Resource Unit received $5,000 for its Gymini Crickets Active Play Program, supporting early childhood development through weekly structured play sessions, while in Wee Waa the Yuluwirri Maayirr Rural Education Through Art Indigenous Corporation was awarded $44,664 to run a seven-month digital inclusion hub offering individual support and community outreach.
“Congratulations to all the groups that put so much effort into planning these projects. I look forward to reading about the impacts as they come to life in the coming months,” Karena said.
The Strengthening Rural Communities program is always open, offering three streams of funding: a Small and Vital stream of grants up to $10,000 for projects that strengthen community connections, a Larger Leverage stream of grants up to $50,000 focused on digital literacy and connectivity, and a Prepare and Recover stream of grants up to $25,000 for local preparedness, recovery and resilience-building initiatives.
The full list of funded projects is available at frrr.org.au/blog/2026/08/27/src-round-29.
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