By Parker McKenzie
Funding of over $200,000 will be used for community outreach throughout Ferntree Gully after Foothills Community Care received a grant from the state government and Knox City Council.
the $207,355 Knox Empowering Communities program grant will be used to launch an 18-month pilot program, where professional community outreach workers will be positioned in Ferntree Gully Village to connect to those in need.
Foothills Community Care founder Stephen Barrington said it is the largest grant the organisation has received since it started in 2022.
“Our project is to look at safety and connection around the Ferntree Gully Village precinct and employ a couple of outreach workers who will be working with local community groups, the local traders, local law enforcement — PSOs and police — and vulnerable people in the area,” he said.
“The council identified the Ferntree Gully has quite a few vulnerable people who hang around the streets there, so it’s how do we engage with people in a meaningful way and create perceptions of safety around the community.”
The pilot program will focus on advocacy and education, and how to connect with people who aren’t traditionally involved in community groups or sporting clubs.
Mr Barrington said the outreach support workers will focus on connecting those people and pulling stakeholders together to resolve community issues.
“We’ve got some great traders, we’ve got some great community groups and we got people that just need a bit of extra support,” he said.
“We’re looking forward to rolling this out over the next little while. We don’t expect magical answers straight away, but what we hope is for people to feel included and to feel connected with our community.”
Mountain District Learning Centre also received a $46,500 grant to provide activities and experiences for young people outside school hours and during holidays.
Knox City Council received $700,000 under the Empowering Communities grants through the Victorian state government. Projects selected by an advisory group made up of community stakeholders receive funding for initiatives addressing local crime and safety concerns.
Monbulk MP Daniela De Martino said the grant stream is focused on diverting people from the justice system by investing in community programs to support people and help keep their lives on track.
“I’d like to thank the local Empowering Communities Knox Action Group for their work so far, and I look forward to hearing about further progress on this important initiative,” she said.
“Community organisations like Foothills Community Care and Mountain District Learning Centre put the heart into our hills. For so many, these organisations are about being welcomed and sharing conversations in a safe and inclusive space.”
In a statement, Knox Mayor Marcia Timmers-Leitch said a total of $467,000 has been made available to engage Ferntree Gully residents and address the underlying causes of crime and community safety issues.
“We are looking forward to announcing more worthy grant recipients in future,” she said.
Mr Barrington said Foothills Community Care is passionate about providing safe spaces for people, particularly those who miss out.
“This grant is really around providing space for that and helping people to understand what some of the causes that get to get people to be where they are,” he said.
“People just don’t choose to be homeless or on the street or take drugs generally. There’s a whole range of issues around that and so we need to be addressing root causes as well as the behaviour we see.”
