City dishes out cash injections
The gay and lesbian community will receive an injection of funds over the coming months as the City of Sydney starts handing out grants in the lead-up to September’s election.
The City of Sydney will provide $4.5 million to nearly 500 community organisations over the next year as part of its annual grants and sponsorship program. Of those groups, eight GLBT organisations will receive funding for a range of community health, safety and education campaigns.
The Harbour City Bears will once again receive funding for next year’s Bear Essentials party. The Gender Centre will receive money for new furniture. The gay Catholic group Acceptance will receive funding for staging a World AIDS Day remembrance ceremony.
Money will also be put towards a relationships and family rights education campaign to be produced by the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby as well as an arts and crafts program for HIV-positive men to be put on by ACON.
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Choir will receive sponsorship to produce an opera that will debut at next year’s Mardi Gras. Funding will be provided to publish new copies of Gary Wotherspoon’s book, City Of The Plain: History Of A Gay Subculture, and ACON will receive funding to start up a series of workshops on same-sex domestic violence.
City of Sydney CEO Monica Barone said the Council was pleased to see such a wide array of events and programs being produced by the gay and lesbian community.
The City and the community act collaboratively to bring to life the City of Villages and deliver on goals set out in Sustainable Sydney 2030, Barone said.
The City is proud to support each and every one of these successful grants and we are particularly pleased to support so many worthwhile initiatives from our GLBT community.
ACON gives thanks
ACON will receive two separate grants to fund an arts and crafts workshop for HIV-positive women as well as a series of workshops on same-sex domestic violence. ACON President Mark Orr said the support was welcome.
These two grants will help us provide valuable opportunities for members of our community to increase the knowledge, skills and networks that can help improve their health and welfare. We thank the City of Sydney for their support and look forward to working with them on these projects as well as the many other initiatives that form part of ACON’s partnership with the City of Sydney.
Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby
The Gay and Lesbian Rights lobby will receive $20,800 to produce a public education campaign on relationships and family rights. GLRL co-convenor Peter Johnson said it was a welcome contribution.
We are thrilled to have been awarded this considerable opportunity to extend our community education work. We wish to sincerely thank the City of Sydney who have been a long-time supporter of the GLRL through subsidised rent and support for our 58 ’08 campaign.
Harbour City Bears
The Harbour City Bears will once again receive funding for Bear Essentials next year. HBC President Phillip Penwright says the organisation is looking to form ever closer relationships with the Council.
Previously I was unaware that you could receive funding for more than one event at a time, so we’re currently looking at maybe getting another grant to set up other things like perhaps a self-defence class -“ which would be great. From my experience, the Council has been nothing but helpful and, as a community organisation, we really are appreciative of the help they provide.
AIDS Trust
The AIDS Trust will receive an extra $5,000 of funding each year, allowing the organisation a kitty of $20,000 for the Sydney Food and Wine Fair. AIDS Trust CEO Nick Toonen said the additional funding would be put to good use.
The City of Sydney has been a generous supporter of the AIDS Trust’s annual Food and Wine Fair for many years, providing in-kind support through free use of Hyde Park and banner poles, as well as cash sponsorship. Without their support it would be very difficult to hold our annual landmark event and I’m delighted that they’ve recently decided to increase their cash support.
Time for the NSW government to pull its own weight with Mardi Gras funding. There can be no excuse for them not to, after the buckets of cash and in-kind support Iemma’s government threw at Catholic World Youth Day.
Doug – Mardi Gras was granted major festival status a couple of years back (joining events like Sydney Festival, Sydney Biennelle, Sydney Film Festival, Sydney Writers Festival). Funding for these events comes out of a different ‘pot’and is made on a triennial basis. The City of Sydney remains one of Mardi Gras’ largest financial backers.
SORRY BUT WHAT I CAN SEE HERE IS, EVERYONE IS SURELY ATTACKING & BEING VERY JUDGEMENTAL WITH “CLOVER” I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD JUST ACCEPT & APPRICIATE THE SMALL THINGS SHE HAS DONE FOR THE GAY COMMUNITY. IT’S NOT THE BIG THINGS THAT MATTERS RIGHT, IT’S THE SMALL THINGS EVERYONE DOE’S THAT REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE. “APPRICIATE THE SMALL THINGS TO ACHIEVE THE BIG THINGS” EVERYTHING TAKES TIME LET ALONE PATIENCE ITSELF. IF THIS IS REALLY ABOUT INDEPENDENCE..WELL LET HER DO WHAT SHE THINKS IT’S RIGHT. SHE CAN’T DO EVERYTHING IN ONE BLAST!! ANYWAY I AIN’T GAY.. BUT I THINK SHE DESERVES A LITTLE BIT OF CREDIT FROM EVERYONE FOR HER EFFORTS!!GOOD ON YOU CLOVER..U TRIED TO DO THE BEST YOU COULD!! I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN FIGHTING FOR YOUR RIGHTS..EQUALITY IS THE TRUE WAY. EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO BE ON THIS EARTH A 100% I BELIEVE IN THAT. GOOD LUCK MY FELLOW FRIENDS & GOD BLESS THE WORLD:)
Mick ,policing is a NSW government responsibility. Clover does not control the police . Some here think it is the Mayor’s reponsibility ..they have been watching too much NYPD.we are not New York.( more’s the pity )
i’m with william on this one. I voted for Clover last time but I’ve been really disappointed. She’s big on the pro-gay rhetoric but the homophobic violence has just got worse and worse – it shows how out of touch she is if she thinks that gay bashings can be defeated by putting up council signs on Oxford Street saying “homophobia-free zone”! The way to stop gay-bashings isn’ with gimmicks like that, it’s by putting more COPS ON THE BEAT!
William , thank god Clover stood for Lord Mayor and ruined the Labor Party’s plan to get their hands on Town hall.What a nightmare that would have been with developers donations/ Favours , terrible developments with Frank Sartor pulling the strings , we would have had Michael Lee ( Michael Who ?? _ he’s been a great councillor hasn’t he ..lol)as Lord Mayor. He was the guy whose vision for Sydney did’nt go beyond establishing a kids playground in Hyde Park .We should be thankful and grateful we have a visionary hard working energetic woman who is a great friend and ally of the gay and lesbian community running our city .Sorry to ruin your day William but all polling indicates public approval of Clover is at an all time high. She will be returned in a landslide !
Am I missing something here – I don’t see a big fat cash injection to the gay event that brings more business to Sydney than anything else – Mardi Gras? Isn’t that very long overdue?
Clover “bribing” the community, William? What hyperbolic nonsense. Your shallow political point-scoring implies that Sydney Council should deny funds to worthwhile GLBT causes. That hardly constitutes “true independance”.
It’s never time for change merely for change’s sake alone. Voters would be wise to more closely consider the Liberal and Labour alternatives waiting on the sidelines (before making any frivolous decisions to throw the baby out with the bathwater).
Anyone see a problem with Clover, who controls 6 out of 10 votes on council, bribing LGBTI community with donations. Sign of a desperate, so called independent party.
Time for true independence. Problem is Clover has eliminated all over independents! New admin laws make running as independent too hard for ordinary individuals. Clover was an ordinary independent once upon a time! Now she is too power hungry and lost the indepentent balance our society needs!
Lets vote Clover into retirement pasture! Its time for a change!