Community grants to boost Esperance ARTS COMMUNITY and other local groups

The Esperance Shire have deliberated and approved 17 community grants to local groups and clubs totalling approximately $240,000.

The big winners were those in the arts community, with the Esperance Community Arts Centre and the Cannery Arts Centre both receiving $40,000 each. There has previously been contention about funding for the two seemingly opposed organisations who are regularly vying for local financial support. The sizeable donation will automatically even the playing field and allow both ECA and the Cannery to prosper.

It appears Jordon Prince-Wright’s latest movie will be (predominantly) filmed in Esperance, after the Shire approved Esperance Tourism’s application for a $52,000 grant. Jordon directed Decadent and Depraved, which one awards around the world and was shot in WA, and was relying on the funding to help shoot three quarters of his project next year in the winter months. Most of that money will be given in kind, with the Shire offering plant equipment and Civic Centre hire to help the film production.

Shire President Victoria Brown talked through the winners of the community grants program on the Sean for Breakfast Show

The other big winners around town included:

• 9Hopefm who received $2,500 for equipment installation
• Esperance Soccer with renewed portable goals costing $2,5000
• An upgrade in firefighting equipment for the Esperance Volunteer Fire and Rescue worth just under $3,000
• Esperance Brass Band received their regular package worth $5,000
• The Adventure Camp will continue to run next year by the Rotary Club of Esperance Bay after it received a $5,000 boost
• Some of the new velodrome fence upgrade ($4,000) will be covered by the Shire for the Esperance Cycling Club
• Escare were handed almost $20,000 for their waste management commitments
• Other events happening in 2020 all received reasonable grants of $2,000, including Condingup Fair, Grass Patch Yabbie Classic and the Esperance Foreshore Festival & Fireworks… with the Kids Fun Day Out getting $5,000.

The list of community grants awarded and those organisations and projects that missed out can be found at the Esperance Shire website. The program will be run again in 2020, so make sure you don’t miss out.  

It's important to note that the $240,000 handed out into the community equates to approximate 1% of residents rates, showing that it really is the Esperance people who are giving back and injecting life into the town and it's culture.