April 9, 2015
A $50,000 grant from the Tarong Community Partnership Fund has kickstarted a major upgrade of SBcare’s Lakeview Friendship Centre in Kingaroy.
The project, which has a total budget of $250,000, aims to extend the building to provide much-needed office space for workers – some of whom are currently working out of halls – as well as develop a much safer car parking area at the rear of the building.
SBcare CEO Cheryl Dalton said the extensions would also provide clients with a dedicated meeting area and “quiet space”.
“At present, there is no meeting room at all and often staff have to leave their offices to provide privacy for client meetings,” she said.
The extension will also enlarge the Day Respite Room to cater for 25 clients and provide a dedicated storage area.
The not-for-profit SBcare organisation delivers aged care and disability services across the South Burnett, mostly run out of the Kingaroy central office.
Cheryl said the group had also applied to the Federal Government’s National Stronger Regions Fund for assistance and she hoped to find out in May if this application had been successful.
She said SBcare could potentially double its workforce with the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the current administration space was simply not adequate to cater for any expansion.
The support from the Stanwell fund to SBcare follows a recent $5000 grant from the South Burnett Mayor’s Community Benefit Fund to the Senior Citizens Club to install automatic opening doors on the main male and female toilets at the centre.
Up to this point, the doors had to be often left propped open because aged clients, or people using walkers, could not open them.
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Two other South Burnett not-for-profit groups have also received assistance under the latest round of the Tarong Community Partnership Fund:
The South Burnett Pantry, which is based in Kingaroy, received $13,675 to improve infrastructure at its facility. The grant will be used to purchase a display freezer and portable shade covering.
The group is now helping almost 250 people every week.
The third successful applicant was the Blackbutt & District Tourism and Heritage Association which received $10,000 to assist with the removal of the old Nukku Rail Siding building from Yarraman to the heritage precinct being developed near Nukku Nook at Blackbutt.
Secretary Noeleen Bird said the wooden siding building had been generously donated to the Heritage association by the Webber family in Yarraman.
“The two-room building is quite substantial,” Noeleen said. “It will be placed beside the old Nukku School (Nukku Nook).
“Council have been good; they have waived the fees for us,” she said.
She said the development would be a three-stage process.
Firstly the building would be shifted.
Stage 2 would be “doing it up”.
“There is some timberwork to do and windows to fix,” Noeleen said. “Then we have to paint it, put in disability access and install fire extinguishers.”
The third stage will be completing landscaping and paving, and building a shade structure.
Excellent news for South Burnett organisations. Thank you Stanwell for supporting the local community!!!