Photo caption: Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton with previous Volunteer Grant recipient Orana Physical Culture.

Community groups in the Parkes electorate are encouraged to apply now for a share of $66,225 in funding to support the work of their volunteers.

Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton said Expressions of Interest (EOI) in the Australian Government’s 2024-25 Volunteer Grants program are now open.

“We are lucky to have so many hard-working volunteers in the Parkes electorate who dedicate countless hours of their time to helping our communities,” Mr Coulton said.

“Whether it’s responding to emergencies with the State Emergency Service, volunteering with Meals on Wheels, or helping in the canteen at the junior football, our volunteers play an important role in our communities.

“The Volunteer Grants program was an initiative established by the former Coalition Government to support local volunteers, ensuring they can continue their valuable work in the community safely and appropriately.”

Mr Coulton said volunteer organisations can apply for grants of between $1,000 and $5,000 to support their communication or insurance needs, or to fund purchases and activities which will benefit children under 18.

“Some major changes have been made to this year’s Volunteer Grants, so it is important to review the guidelines to check your eligibility,” Mr Coulton said.

“I know how beneficial these grants have been to previous recipients over the years, so I encourage all eligible organisations to submit their expression of interest to my office by Friday 10 January 2025.”

Eligible organisations must submit an EOI to be considered for a grant.

Mr Coulton, with the assistance of a committee of local leaders, will consider the submissions and nominate projects up to the funding cap of $66,225. Nominated organisations will then be invited to apply for funding from 25 February 2025. Successful applicants will be notified in June 2025.

Eligible organisations in the Parkes electorate can download an EOI form for submission to Mr Coulton’s office by 5pm AEDT Friday 10 January 2025.

More information is available by contacting the Dubbo electorate office on 02 6882 0999 or by downloading the Grant Opportunity Guidelines at https://www.grants.gov.au/Fo/Show?FoUuid=5dfb2962-c6ac-4d8b-995d-5de87cfb24f3.