| Sweet Sassafras Open Community Choir Inc |
Sweet Sassafras 20th Anniversary Event |
A milestone event bringing together past and present members of Sweet Sassafras Open Community Choir, alongside Lyrebirds Community Choir and Cover Notes from the Dandenong Ranges. The celebration will feature shared singing, connection, and a focus on supporting the sustainability of community choirs. |
$1,500.00 |
| Tecoma Uniting (TUC) |
Voices From The Edge |
A co-designed event with marginalised communities, including First Nations peoples, people with a disability, and queer communities. Held in August, the event will feature spoken word, music, conversation and art, creating a safe space for performers to share their stories. It aims to celebrate diversity, challenge unconscious bias, address stereotypes, and foster allyship. Funding will support professional sound and fair payment for artists. |
$1,500.00 |
| Lilydale & Yarra Valley Show |
Lilydale & Yarra Valley show |
The Lilydale & Yarra Valley show is an agricultural show that brings communities together. It is an opportunity for the public to show their crafts, photos, etc. Bins are required for the event on the 15th & 16th of November. |
In-Kind Waste |
| Little Yarra CFA |
Little Yarra Santa Visits 2025 |
A free, family-friendly event designed to strengthen connections between local families and the Little Yarra CFA. In partnership with Little Apples Playgroup and Gladysdale Primary School, the initiative includes interactive visits to the playgroup and school, followed by a festive Christmas run for families in the CFA response area. The event aims to build trust, create lasting memories, and increase community engagement with emergency services. |
$750.00 |
| Combined Probus Club of Olinda Inc |
Grand Afternoon Tea Party |
To celebrate Senior’s Month and Probus Month in October, the club will host a performance of Gilbert & Sullivan’s "Lolanthe" by the locally based Singularity Choir, followed by a catered afternoon tea. This event aims to provide an enjoyable, stress-free experience for members, engage the local community, and attract new members, building on the success of a similar past event. |
$1,000.00 |
| Friends of Warburton Rail Trail - Lilydale |
Purchase and Monitor Nesting Boxes for Birds, Sugar Gliders and Pollinators. |
This project will install habitat boxes along the rail trail to support native species and biodiversity. Volunteers from FOWRT will monitor the boxes year-round, building on the group’s growing membership and existing partnerships, including with a local kindergarten. The project will complement similar initiatives, strengthen community engagement, and enhance visitor connection to the trail. Installation will commence as soon as funding is secured, ideally by spring. |
$500.00 |
| Mums of the Hills Inc |
Make Mums of the Hills Sustainable |
This project will fund a new door handle system for the community hub, ensuring compatibility with council keys for secure, easy access by volunteers, hub users, and staff. It will also support training for the volunteer committee in succession planning, corporate sponsorship, and governance, strengthening organisational sustainability and future growth. |
$1,072.65 |
| Lilydale Cricket Club |
Lilydale Cricket Club – 2025 Girls Cricket Registration & Season Launch Event |
A one-off community event in August 2025 to launch the 2025–26 season and encourage new female players to join Lilydale Cricket Club. The day will include registration support, introductory cricket activities using new training equipment, and light refreshments. Promoted via social media and local channels, the event expects around 60 attendees, including players, families, and volunteers. It aims to reduce barriers to participation through fee discounts and foster an inclusive, welcoming environment for women and girls in community sport. |
$750.00 |
| Warburton Bowls Club |
Warburton Bowls Club Open Day 2025 |
An afternoon event in September inviting local residents to experience lawn bowls, learn about club activities, and promote the venue as a community resource and post-emergency refuge. The event will include a free sausage sizzle with vegetarian/vegan options, bowling demonstrations, and guidance from club volunteers to showcase the sport’s accessibility. Open to all ages and abilities, the day aims to strengthen community connections and encourage participation. |
$750.00 |
| Yarra Valley Business Inc. |
Volunteer Growth and Engagement |
The monthly Coffee Catch Ups are a casual networking sessions hosted by board members to attract business-minded individuals, encourage membership, and foster volunteer recruitment. These approachable gatherings help build stronger connections and increase participation in paid events. Additionally, funds will support a volunteer appreciation event aligned with the AGM to boost attendance and recognise the contributions of outgoing and incoming volunteers, reinforcing their value to the organisation. |
$600.00 |
| Nicole Fisher |
Warburton Birrarung Riverfest - River Rhythms Singer/Songwriter Event |
As part of YRKA’s three-week celebration in September 2025, this event invites participants to write and perform an original song themed around the Yarra Birrarung. Key partners include Yarra Riverkeeper Association, Yarra Valley Life TV, Yarra Ranges Council, and ECOSS |
$1,500.00 |
| Kilsyth Cobras under 14 girls basketball team |
Under 14 National Club Championships (Basketball) |
The under-14 girls’ Kilsyth Cobras team has qualified for a prestigious national event in Perth, September–October 2025, featuring the top 24 teams in Australia. This funding will help cover uniform costs to enable participation. The championship is a key platform for developing national basketball talent and showcases the best players from across the country. |
$500.00 |
| Ms Cora Zon |
Cipher |
Cipher is an interactive exhibition by artist Cora Zon, based on the zines Cipher and 44 Sounds Wild. Running from 16 September to 9 November 2025 at The Memo, Healesville, the exhibition features screen-printed animals, puzzles, a decoder, and a Cipher zine display. Six schools will participate in workshops, where students will solve Cipher puzzles and create their own nature-themed zines, complementing the Healesville Zine and Comic Festival. Volunteers will support the Cipher activity table during the festival. |
$1,500.00 |
| Benjamin Langdon |
Dandenong Ranges Music: Professional Development |
A series of free workshops designed to support local musicians and industry workers in the Dandenong Ranges. The project includes two professional development events: a panel on radio and media, and a panel on gigs and festivals. These sessions aim to strengthen professional skills, foster industry connections, and build a more connected and resilient local music scene. |
$1,200.00 |
| Montrose Preschool |
Montrose Preschool Facepainting Fun @ Kilsyth Festival |
Montrose Preschool will host a stall at the Kilsyth Festival to engage with the community and raise funds for the kindergarten. The grant will fund a professional face painter, creating a fun and inclusive activity that attracts attendees and increases engagement. Funds raised from face painting will go directly back to the kinder. The stall will be supported by volunteers, with key partners including the Kilsyth Festival and the broader community. |
$500.00 |
| Haig Avenue Preschool |
Sound Steps |
Sound Steps is a collaborative project offering music therapy sessions throughout November. Delivered by a qualified music therapist from Beyond Speech, the sessions will use songs, movement, rhythm, and group interaction to support children’s emotional wellbeing, communication skills, and social development. The program provides early intervention in a safe, familiar environment and strengthens community partnerships, giving families access to allied health services they may not otherwise have. |
$968.00 |
| Yarra Valley Home Birth Community |
Yarra Valley Home Birth Community |
This project will deliver monthly gatherings for home birthing families and those interested in learning more about home birth. The sessions will provide a safe, inclusive space for parents-to-be to connect, share experiences, and access information. They will also create networking opportunities for local midwives, doulas, and birth workers to share resources and strengthen community support for families in the Yarra Valley. |
$560.00 |
| Rotary Club of Wandin |
Wandin Custom Car and Bike Show |
Wandin Rotary will host four Custom Car and Bike Shows. These major community events attract around 1,500 car owners and spectators per show. The events also provide fundraising opportunities for local organisations such as Wandin CFA and Wandin Inner Wheel, and reward volunteer support from groups like Seville CFA, Wandin Cricket Club, and Upper Yarra Rotary. |
In-Kind Waste |
| Julie Wouters |
Memories Remembered - Awesome songs from the 50's, 60's and 70's. |
As part of the Seniors Festival, the “Memories Remembered” show will feature a live performance of popular songs from the 1950s to the 1970s, covering artists such as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Dolly Parton, The Beatles, and more. Each one-hour show will include 14 carefully curated songs across two different sets, taking audiences on a nostalgic journey through music history. The first event will be held at Lilydale Community House, with a second show planned for Japara Living and Learning Centre. |
$902.32 |
| Eastern Palliative Care Ltd |
POUND THE PAVEMENT 4 EPC |
EPC’s largest annual fundraiser, Pound the Pavement 4 EPC, brings together around 240 participants to walk one or two laps of Lilydale Lake, followed by a community celebration at the Lilydale Lake Community Rooms and parkland. The event includes two marquees, a Rotary BBQ, a coffee van, and seating areas. Funds raised support EPC’s vital services for the community. |
In-Kind Waste |
| Quilts for Orphans Inc |
Start Small, Grow Big! |
This project will deliver four Makers Marathons and weekly sewing days across multiple months to create quilts and scented hearts for community benefit. The goal is to produce 100 single quilts for aged care residents in the Yarra Ranges and 100 quilts plus 50 scented hearts for Life’s Little Treasures, supporting families with premature babies. The project builds on previous initiatives, using donated fabrics and promoting skill-sharing, creativity, and social connection. Activities will also include a Yarra Ranges Over 50’s Festival event in October, with promotion via social media, newsletters, local media, and community networks. |
$1,000.00 |