Caring for Country and Youth grants announced in Clarence Valley
Photo featured: Bundjalung Co-designers Ken Gordon, Lynette Donnelly, Avery Brown and Joe Walker at Copmanhurst Hall, Dec 2024
Fire to Flourish Clarence Valley, through a partnership with Northern Rivers Community Foundation, has funded 12 new community-led projects totalling $420,000, that will strengthen cultural connections, restore local environments, and engage children and young people in activities across the region.
The communities’ vision for a Caring for Country and Youth grant round emerged from recent co-design team meetings and community forums in Grafton, Broom’s Head, Coutts Crossing and Copmanhurst. These gatherings brought diverse people together and provided key opportunities to identify their communities’ strengths, hear different perspectives on Country and Youth, share project ideas, find collaborators and seek guidance and support from Elders and co-designers.
The success of this funding round is testament to the dedication and leadership of the Caring for Country and Youth co-design team. Twelve Aboriginal co-designers from Bundjalung, Gumbaynggirr and Yaegl communities came together over several planning sessions to ensure community voices guided the process and informed their funding decisions.
Avery Brown, a Bundjalung community co-designer, highlights the supportive approach of the co-design process. “Our co-designers are forever thankful that this process was an amicable and productive challenge, allowing us to make the decisions that will benefit our respective communities."
These 12 grassroots projects – spanning Bundjalung, Gumbaynggirr and Yaegl Countries as well as Clarence Valley-wide projects – will have lasting impacts through cultural, environmental and educational initiatives, and employment opportunities.
Bundjalung Country:
- Children's Spring Carnival: The Children's Spring Carnival in Grafton is an annual community event during National Child Protection Week, uniting organisations to connect with families, with funding supporting free activities and promoting local services for children aged 0-12.
- Copmanhurst and Surrounds Indigenous Contribution to War Efforts - Storytelling and Book Generation: This project by Laurelea Moss will preserve and share the untold stories of Aboriginal servicemen and women from Copmanhurst and the greater region through community storytelling, archival research and a published book. It will also invite living relatives to participate in the 2026 Copmanhurst ANZAC March, fostering remembrance, recognition and historical understanding.
- Rekindle our Bundjalung Mobs to their Land: This project facilitates monthly knowledge-sharing and learning days with Bundjalung Elders, engaging male youth in Caring for Country through practical experiences of land and river cycles. Simultaneously, the Connected Women's Dreaming group at Baryulgil Hub will prepare shared meals, fostering community connection and cultural empowerment.
Gumbaynggirr Country:
- As it Was: This project by Blue Rock Nursery will restore Mollydale Wetland by removing invasive species, replanting native trees, stabilising watercourses, and enhancing natural habitats while also supporting native plant propagation for restoration projects across the Clarence Valley.
- Connecting to Cultural Country: This project by Gurehlgam Corporation will bring Aboriginal community members together to share stories, participate in cultural activities, and strengthen their connection to Country through workshops on cultural values, empowering them to protect and manage their heritage for future generations.
- Fishing Line - Off Line - A Life Line: A weekend cultural and fishing trip for up to 20 young people and mentors from the Blicks area to traverse Gumbaynggirr Country, featuring visits to Aboriginal fish traps, a Sikh Temple, and mentorship to foster future community leaders.
Yaegl Country:
- Iluka Koala Reserve - Water for Life: This project will install a permanent arboreal water supply in the Iluka Koala Reserve to support tree-dwelling wildlife, reduce predation risks, and aid in maintaining newly planted eucalypts for koalas. Yaegl-led bush regeneration will support biodiversity and community engagement.
- Maclean High Mentoring Program: This initiative by the Clarence River U3A Men’s/Women’s Shed supports students beyond the classroom by fostering strong relationships and offering engaging activities. It provides meals and skill-building opportunities to enhance attendance, focus, and self-esteem.
- Maclean Rainforest Reserve Restoration: Protecting and restoring the Maclean Rainforest as a public reserve will safeguard one of the last remnants of Clarence Valley Rainforest, providing critical habitat for endangered species like the grey-headed flying fox and wompoo fruit-dove, with potential for rare plant regeneration through native seed collection and planting.
- Discovering Knowledge and Celebrating Native Plants in Yaegl Country / Yaegl Seasonal Calendar: Engaging Yaegl youth in photographing native plants and learning from Elders, this project fosters cultural and environmental awareness through the creation of a seasonal calendar and educational poster, documenting biodiversity and traditional knowledge for the wider community.
- Yaegl Yarning Circle: A dedicated Yaegl Yarning Circle will be created by Maclean Public School P & C, providing an accessible space where Elders can share stories, language, and art, fostering cultural exchange and enriching the school community.
Clarence Valley-wide:
- Youth Dance Mob lead Big River Song: Aboriginal Cultural Elders and established artists will mentor young artists in developing an original concept and song reflecting Caring for Country and Youth. This collaborative project led by Jade Dewi Tyaas Tungaal will culminate in dance workshops, a community performance, and a filmed documentary capturing the creative and cultural journey.
Fire to Flourish Clarence Valley would like to acknowledge and thank everyone who has contributed to this community-led process, including those who joined the co-design team, attended forums, completed surveys, wrote grant applications and developed projects in and for their communities.
Fire to Flourish’s flexible, hyperlocal funding will empower local organisations and community leaders to build community connections and restore natural landscapes across the Clarence Valley.
Follow the Clarence Valley team on Facebook for opportunities to take part in these community projects and events throughout the year.