We are continuing to support communities to recover from the aftermath of the 2019 -20 Black Summer Bushfires. 

The Mumbulla Community Foundation received $100,000 through the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants Program (BSBR). This funding was provided to charities and not-for-profit groups located in the Bega Valley through the Mumbulla Foundation Community Grants Program.  

Mumbulla Community Foundation supporting Bega Valley

Mumbulla Community Foundation Chair, Mick Pryke, is an extremely passionate community advocate. He understands the importance of using funding to provide tailored solutions that meet the needs of community members. Mick also understands the strategic advantage of aggregating funding to pump back into the community.   

Local community grants have existed in the Bega Valley for 22 years, they continue to be sought after. “After the Black Summer Bushfires, we have been able to aggregate funding from local council, Global Giving and NEMA’s BSBR funding to pull together a pool of over $120,000” said Mick Pryke, Mumbulla Foundation Chair.

“That’s the really important role that I think community foundations have, is working with people like NEMA and these very large grant programs, is that we can act as a conduit and get the money to the little organisations at the coal face.” Said Mick.   

BSBR funding has been used to support the below initiatives:   

• Bega Women’s Resource Centre (WRC) – Shared community garden and mural to support women recovering from trauma.  
• Towamba Parents and Citizens Association – Playground equipment to support bringing families together in the community.  
• Quaama Progress Association Incorporated, Quaama Chorale – engaged choirmaster to re-establish the men’s community choir.  
• SE Arts Headland Aboriginal Cultural Program – First Nations cultural performance bringing Aboriginal and non-aboriginal communities together in a shared spirit of recovery and resilience.  
• Firestory Book - Creation of a storybook that documents the experiences of local community members during the Black summer bushfires.  
• These initiatives show how BSBR funding can be used to provide practical assistance to those who need it most.   

“The Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Funding was really important. It allowed Mumbulla to reach down into the community, to small groups who were working really hard in the recovery process with all sorts of innovative programs that were really struggling to find funding to deliver what they wanted to do.” Said Mick Pryke.  

The Bega Women’s Resource Centre: A beacon of support  

Through the Mumbulla Community Grants program, one community organisation who received funding was the Bega Women’s Resource Centre (WRC). The WRC received funding to support with the creation of a shared community garden and mural.    

Jane Hughes runs the local WRC and has witnessed first-hand the need for a safe space for women to join together during tough times.   

As homes were lost and communities displaced in the Black Summer Bushfires, the WRC became a lifeline for women seeking refuge and access to essential services. The centre during the fires was also a space for women in the community to escape the stress of evacuation centres.  

“The new space will become an outdoor classroom. It will be a space where we can teach women different self-care mechanisms around breath work, grounding, mindfulness, meditation. It’ll be a space where if people need some time-out they can just come and sit and reflect” said Jane Hughes, Manager WRC.   

The Bega community continues to deal with the lasting impacts of the bushfires. The Centre now represents a space where women can come together to share their stories and connect with others.   

This initiative supports our commitment to supporting local communities to build resilience in the face of adversity.