More than $37,000 in grant funding goes to 12 charities

MORE than $37,000 has been awarded to 12 charities across the Darling Downs to continue their vital work in the communities they serve.

The Toowoomba Regional Community Fund, a sub-fund of the Queensland Community Foundation, yesterday announced the recipients of the annual grants program.

Fund chair Joy Mingay said the pool of applicants was the strongest yet.

“It’s these charities and notfor-profits that are in the best position to identify and respond to local needs, and we are just delighted to be able to help them provide these vital services to our community,” Ms Mingay said.

“It is more important than ever that we as a community continue to build this fund to meet the needs of our local charities. I’d encourage people to ‘give where you live’ and help support the Toowoomba Regional Community Fund.”

One of the grant recipients was Ability Enterprises, which runs Cafe Abuzz at Baillie Henderson Hospital.

“This is our first venture into hospitality, and we’re proud of what we’re achieving so far through the ongoing commitment of our staff, together with the support of the management and staff of Darling Downs Health who have provided us with this fantastic opportunity,” Ability Enterprises CEO Tracey Scanlan said.

“We’re very grateful to the Toowoomba Regional Community Fund for providing us with this grant which will allow us to purchase a commercial fridge and freezer for the cafe. With this grant, we can continue to grow the cafe and offer employment to additional people with barriers to employment.”

To find out more or to donate to the community fund, phone 3360 3854 or email enquiries@qcf.org.au.