NSW Ports has launched its 2023 Community Grants Program to help local groups, not-for-profit organisations and schools build thriving communities.
One-off grants worth up to $25,000 each are available for local projects, services and initiatives that benefit communities surrounding NSW Ports’ sites at Port Botany, Port Kembla and the Enfield and Cooks River intermodal centres.
NSW Ports CEO Marika Calfas said NSW Ports is a proud and active member of the communities in which it operates and is committed to working together towards a better future for people and the planet.
“NSW Ports’ Community Grants Program supports community-led, innovative project ideas, programs and initiatives that help our local communities thrive,” she said.
“Our grants help make neighbourhoods better places to live, work, learn and play, by enhancing health and well-being, education opportunities and the environment.”
NSW Ports’ 2023 Community Grants Program supports projects that deliver positive outcomes across the areas of education, health, economic development, the environment, arts and culture, social welfare and emergency relief.
More than 40 local groups and initiatives have been awarded grants over the past two years, including sports clubs, schools, Indigenous health programs, multicultural centres, universities, social welfare organisations and environmental programs.
Recipients have included the Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions at the University of Wollongong, the Deli Women and Children’s Centre, Frame Running Wollongong, Dress for Success, the Multicultural Communities Council of Illawarra, Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation, Community Cancer Link, Meals on Wheels as well as Sydney and Illawarra schools.
NSW Ports’ international trade gateways operate 24/7 and contribute $13.6 billion annually to the State’s economy, while supporting about 65,000 jobs – many of them in the local community.
“More than 30 per cent of employees at Port Botany live locally, while 99 per cent of Port Kembla’s workforce are local residents,” Ms Calfas said.
“Our local communities are integral to the day-to-day operations of our ports and intermodal centres. We’re immensely proud to continue to invest in local communities. By working together, we can keep building strong, inclusive, thriving neighbourhoods.”
To apply for the NSW Ports 2023 Community Grants Program, or for more information, visit: www.nswports.com.au/grants. Applications close at 5pm on Sunday, 16 April 2023.
