With the help of grant funding, the 1st Barwon Heads Scout Group will purchase tubs and wheelie bins to provide to relevant businesses around Barwon Heads where containers can be collected for recycling via the Container Deposit Scheme (CDS). The Scouts will collect the bins when full and deliver to a CDS recycling centre, where the return will contribute to fundraising efforts for the group. The initiative will help reduce the amount of rubbish that ends up in landfill and waterways.

Armstrong Creek Boomerang Bags make reusable bags for the community in an effort to reduce single use plastics getting into waterways and landfill. The bags are made from donated fabric that would otherwise go to landfill, and since the local group was established in 2017, they have made approximately 3000 bags. In order to make the bags they require sewing machines, and as a result of their hard work, their sewing machines require servicing so that they can continue to produce the bags.

This project will see the Barwon Heads Community Arts Garden purchase and establish a wicking garden bed, encouraging members to trial the water saving technique and provide garden members with experience and confidence to implement the techniques in their home environment. Wicking technology draws water from the reservoir into the soil, ensuring consistent and sufficient water supply. Not only will the members benefit, but the broader community will see the benefits of water saving technology.

Beeac Golf Club is a nine-hole rural golf course that provides accessible and affordable golf in a small, low socio-economic community that has limited opportunities for sporting in a supportive, inclusive environment. The course is currently maintained by a passionate group of volunteers, and with the help of grant funding, they will have automatic sprinklers installed on all eleven greens. The project will ease the maintenance burden on volunteers while achieving water savings.

This project is a collaborative effort between the Bluebird Foundation, sculptor Viktor Cebergs, Wadawurrung elders and Newcomb Primary School, and will see "guardian sculptures" developed to surround a bush garden rather than standard fencing. After listening to and reflecting on Wadawurrung stories, students will be actively involved in the creation of the sculptures. Once the garden is complete, educational signage will be installed to engage the school community and broader community.

The Colac Otway Residents Action Group's (CORAG) project is to ensure any primary school child in Colac, who doesn't have lunch for any reason, is provided with a suitable lunch so that they can have the best possible ability to learn. The project first began pre-pandemic and the feedback from schools has been hugely supportive, some reporting that children who didn't attend school because they didn't have lunch, now feel comfortable attending because they know there will be lunch for them.

The Lakers is a family-friendly, volunteer run community junior and senior basketball club, however is currently underrepresented in female participation. The club will be using grant funding to purchase female specific uniforms that have smaller arm holes, wider shoulder straps, longer torso, specific sizing options and numbers that sit lower on the reverse to accommodate for longer hair. This initiative forms part of a broader set of objectives for increasing female participation at the Club.

This grant will assist North Shore Football and Netball Club to purchase uniforms and kits. Subsidising the cost of uniforms means increased participation and accessibility for players living in a low socio-economic community, where it is particularly important to feel a sense of purpose and belonging. In partnership with Northern Bay College, the club also educates and encourages Aboriginal culture through an Indigenous art scholarship, whereby winning designs are worn on player uniforms.

The Painkalac Estuary and its valley are much loved by the local community. This project will involve a series of activities to deepen people's engagement with the local environment and encourage them to be involved in protecting this important ecosystem for future generations. Activities will include educational and cultural connection sessions and guided nature walks, to name a few, creating a more informed, responsible and connected community, contributing to a healthier environment.

Grant funding will contribute to the costs associated with re-establishing the Repair Cafe Bellarine. Repair Cafes are a global movement that offer a free service to the community to repair and extend the life of household items such as clothes, tools, electrical appliances, etc.. They operate by offering advice, giving direct assistance, doing the actual repairs or providing alternative ways to get repairs. Overall, the initiative reduces waste and fosters a more successful circular economy.