A Mid North op shop’s plan to provide free workshops to help with challenging economic times is among the programs to benefit from the latest round of grants from SA Power Networks.
Since its inception in 2022, the SA Power Networks Community Grants Program has been contributing to the improvement of products and services delivered by organisations within South Australian Communities.
More than half of the funding in the recent round of approved grants has been dedicated to regional and remote communities.
Thirty diverse groups were approved with two of the recipients being the Eudunda and Districts Community Op Shop and the Bute Family Learning and Primary School.
With more than 150 groups from all over Australia applying this year, SA Power Networks Community Grant Program stated it has been a direct result of its “renewed programme focus areas of building a sustainable South Australia and fostering innovation for future generations”.
Eudunda and Districts Community Op Shop manager, Annie Wilson, said it was thrilled to hear the news of receiving a $4000 grant.
“These funds are going to help us with our programs to help all of the communities we support, with the creation of free workshops on energy efficiency, upcycling and budget cooking,” she said.
“When people receive their electricity bills, they are finding it more confusing than ever and in these economic challenging times, we understand their confusion.”
One of the workshops, being project managed by the organisation’s media manager Michelle Booth, will be focusing on explaining, understanding and helping people to read their accounts so they can make better decisions on who they choose as providers and manage their usage.
“We are more than an ‘Op Shop’, and we continue our work within the communities which include weekly Heart Foundation Walks, fortnightly free food and we are an Agency for Foodbank,” she said.
“In today’s economic climate we need to help people to find a way to save and manage their household expenditure, this grant is going to be a great help.”
Bute Family Learning and Primary School also received a grant which will be used to buy Makebook MBot 2 Robotic Kits and Makedo Kits, which will help promote STEM learning across all year levels within the school.
SA Power Networks acting head of corporate affairs Cecilia Schutz said the grants program continued to gain in widespread interest with more than 150 groups applying for grants.
“The appetite in local communities to innovate and lead change is really inspiring and is reflected in the record number of applications we received this year,” she said.
Since 2022, more than $375,000 has been contributed towards community group projects.
Applications for 2025 will open in early in the new year. For further information and updates visit www.sapowernetworks.com.au/aboutus/communitygrants
