Leader Local Grants 2019 winners revealed

The votes are in and we are proud to announce this year’s winners of 27 $1000 grants for inspiring community ideas. Check out which grassroots project came out on top in your neighbourhood.

2nd Chance Cat Rescue is the winner of the Cranbourne Leader Local Grant for 2019. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Our readers have spoken and now Leader Community News is thrilled to announce the winners of 27 $1000 grants for grassroots projects across Melbourne.

The Leader Local Grants 2019 recipients were revealed today at a special breakfast for all the finalists at The Langham Melbourne, hosted by smoothfm presenter Cameron Daddo.

Leader has given away more than $313,000 to community projects since the program started in 2012.

This year there were more than 65,800 votes cast by readers and 325 inspiring grant applications.

Schools, animal rescue programs, sports clubs and neighbourhood groups are among those who will now be able to bring their projects to life.

Leader Local Grants is presented by Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, and sponsored by smoothfm and The Langham Melbourne.

LEADER LOCAL GRANTS RECIPIENTS 2019

Bayside Leader — Foster Care for Pets in Crisis — Pets for the Homeless will use this grant to assemble starter packs for volunteer pet foster carers, paying for nutritious pet food, a collar and leash, kitty litter, warm bedding and flea and worm prevention medication.

Caulfield Glen Eira/Port Phillip Leader — Leader Loo Project — Fixing the toilets at McKinnon Primary School and painting inspiring messages on the walls and doors.

Cranbourne Leader — Fleas Kill Kittens, 2nd Chance Cat Rescue — Vet costs, flea and worm treatment for infected kittens.

Blessing Bags will be able to make more “essentials” kits for people experiencing homelessness. Photo: Laura Toole

Frankston Standard Leader — Blessing Bags — For bags of essentials that are distributed to people experiencing homelessness. Each bag contains toiletries and a note of love, hope or positivity.

Diamond Valley Leader — Shared School Outdoor Meeting Place — For outdoor seating, indigenous plants and design of a meeting place for Montmorency South Primary School.

Greater Dandenong Leader — Can Mittens have kittens? Education booklet — Dandy Cat Rescue wants to produce a booklet to help educate primary school children about the importance of animal welfare and what they can do to help.

Dandy Cat Rescue’s grant will go towards a booklet teaching kids how to care for animals. Picture: Josie Hayden

Heidelberg Leader — Streeton Primary School Wicking Garden Project — For materials and plants to create a self-watering garden.

Knox Leader — Mini Vinnies Food Bank at St Luke’s Wantirna — To buy ingredients for the school’s Meal Train and community soup and sandwich lunch projects, which help families in need.

Lilydale & Yarra Valley Leader — Join the (Dash and) Dots program — To buy six Dash & Dot educational robots, which help develop essential skills such as problem solving, team work and patience, for Chirnside Park Primary School.

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Manningham Leader — Lighting for outdoor sports area and paths — Buy and install appropriate, energy efficient lights for Templestowe Park Primary School.

Maribyrnong Leader — Sheltered outdoor furniture for St Margaret’s Primary School Maribyrnong — Buy sheltered outdoor furniture to create a shaded, cool area for children and teachers to eat, learn, make friends and rest.

Maroondah Leader — Team Gazebos for Maroondah United FC — To provide four pop-up gazebos to shelter soccer teams from rainy weather, and to keep bags and equipment dry.

Fairfield Primary School wants to expand its performing arts area outside.

Monash Leader — Tech Crew at Glen Waverley Secondary College — To buy LED theatre lights, which will give the school’s Tech Crew students the opportunity to hone their programming, focusing and design skills for a live event.

Moonee Valley Leader — Nonfiction books for Moonee Ponds Primary School — For nonfiction books to help develop comprehension skills, improve knowledge and vocabulary.

Moorabbin Kingston Leader — Update our Kitchen at Kingston Heath Primary School — For a new food processor, microwave, crockery and also some new garden beds.

Kingston Heath Primary School will be able to buy more kitchen and gardening equipment.

Mordialloc Chelsea Leader — A sandpit for Mordialloc Beach Primary School — To install a large sandpit for students to enjoy at recess and lunchtime.

Moreland Leader — Supporting Brunswick Secondary College’s Twilight Market — Towards the purchase of safety lighting, decorative lighting, promotional signage, stall infrastructure, portable tables, and display boards for the school’s Twilight Market.

Mornington Peninsula Leader — Tyabb Railway Station Primary School indigenous mural — Payment to local indigenous artist for the creation of a large mural on one of our school’s bare walls.

Chatham Primary School’s cherished chickens will finally get a new home.

Northcote Leader — Fairfield Primary School Performing Arts Space — To help create an engaging outdoor space to serve as an extension of the Performing Arts indoor space.

Northern Leader — Safe House for Pets Program — This initiative has been created by Second Chance Animal Rescue to provide temporary care for pets whose owners are fleeing situations of domestic violence. The grant will be used to buy a large cat enclosure to temporarily house up to two felines while their owner has secured their own safety and has made arrangements for the future.

Preston Leader — Tired Toilets at Newlands Primary School — To spruce up toilet walls and doors with a mural featuring messages of positive self-image and respectful relationships as chosen by students.

Blast off! Kew Toy Library will be able to replace and replenish its toy supplies.

Progress Leader — Developing the Imaginations of Tomorrow at Kew Toy Library — To buy new toys for the Imaginative Play section which has become quite bare due to a recent increase in member numbers.

Stonnington Leader — Bicycle/scooter shelter at Glen Iris Primary School — To help build a proper shelter for bikes and scooters to encourage students to bring their bikes on cloudy or inclement days, and others to begin riding to school.

Sunbury/Macedon Ranges Leader — Inspiring you at Riddells Creek Primary School — To have a local artist create spaces around the school’s corridors and toilet doors with brightly painted inspirational quotes all students and staff to see and read every day.

Mill Park Heights Primary School’s breakfast club has won a Leader Local Grant.

Whitehorse Leader — Chatham’s Cherished Chickens’ New Home — Chatham Primary School’s chicken coop is many years old and falling into disrepair. This grant will help make a new home for the chickens, to allow them to prosper safe from predators including foxes for many years to come.

Whittlesea Leader — Mill Park Heights Primary School Breakfast Club — The reality is that the number of students needing breakfast continues to increase in this economic climate and we are struggling to cover costs. The grant will help to serve breakfast once a week to 150-200 students.

Wyndham Leader — Volunteer Shelter, Saltwater Reserve Point Cook — Sheltered protection will be provided for scorers and timekeepers to cater for football and cricket volunteers who are regularly exposed to the elements.