Stockland : supports 320 grass roots community groups

Stockland today announced the winners of its 2017 Community Grants program, awarding more than $300,000 to local community groups and programs that aim to build more cohesive, connected, resilient communities.

Stockland has this year awarded 320 grants to local community groups and not-for-profit organisations across the country.

The Stockland Community Grants program, now in its fourth year, originally started within Stockland's portfolio of 40 shopping centres across Australia, but has since expanded to include Stockland's active residential community developments and its 65 retirement villages.

The program offers micro-funding to environmental groups, animal care and welfare groups, local charities, local sporting, special interest, seniors and social clubs and local primary and high schools seeking additional funds for special, community-based programs. A full list of the 2017 Stockland Community Grants winners is available at www.stockland.com.au/communitygrants.

Michael Rosmarin, Chief Operating Officer at Stockland, said: "Stockland is committed to the creation of sustainable communities. We have more than $15.8 billion invested in the real estate assets across Australia so this is a great opportunity for us to support the local people and groups that make good communities great.

"Through our community grants and our Stockland CARE Foundation we recognise and support the important local community groups and organisations that make such a difference to the social fabric of where we live, work, shop and play, now and into the future."

The Stockland Community Grants program has been running successfully since 2014, distributing more than $950,000 over the years to local community groups.

QUOTES FROM A SELECTION OF 2016 STOCKLAND COMMUNITY
GRANTS WINNERS:

Brian Herlihy, Mernda Chess Club, Victoria
"With $1,000 I bought seven chessboards and chess sets and also five digital chess clocks. To bring the community together is one goal, and the other main goal is so that people who come along (to Mernda Chess Club) can find out about all community groups and all of the services in the area."

Jonathan Clark, Pallara State School, Queensland
"We are mounting (habitat) boxes around here with new digital cameras. We'll be mounting some possum and glider and possibly bird boxes as well…and we'll have cameras running 24/7 and feeding into our school network. The Stockland grant has helped us to buy the cameras, the cabling, and the networking equipment that was was required to get this program going. Grants like this one give us the opportunity to further a project that we think is important, that has great educational outcomes and really helps sow the seeds of community links."

Pat Hallahan, Bus Preservation Society, Western Australia
"I'm project manager for the restoration of a little 1938 Scarborough Bus and we are very proud to be able to bring this one to life. Stockland's donation paid for two seats that were installed in the bus."

Renae Paul, Iramoo Community Centre, Victoria
"Iramoo Community Centre is a not-for-profit that aims to connect with the community to reduce isolation. We used our $1,000 to go towards a series of workshops. We were able to run four Indian cooking workshops; we also ran gnocchi and pasta ravioli workshops. The grant was extremely easy to apply for, the process is very simple and it's actually quite a short application. As most organisations are looking for extra funds for projects and Stockland wants to support those groups, it's definitely worth a try."

ENDS