Have you embarked on a project that is preventing damage to or restoring the natural environment?
Is what you are doing engaging young people in your community or playing a vital role in combating loneliness or isolation?
If your answer is yes to any of these questions, the 2020 Sustainable Communities — Tidy Town Awards may be just the thing for you.
Applications for the awards are now open, set to feature entries from community groups, educational institutions, businesses and councils across rural and regional Victoria.
The awards, which began in 1983, serve to reward those who have made a major contribution to building the wellbeing and resilience of their communities.
They recognise individuals, groups and organisations that have gone above and beyond in making a difference to their communities.
Winning entries from previous years have included the creation of a pre-school children’s garden; the repair and alteration of donated school uniforms. which have helped hundreds of families clothe their children; and the successful treatment of waste-water from milk tanks and storage silos.
They have also included creating a venue for the homeless to shower and wash their clothes and bedding; an historic storyboard trail that follows the journey of the Bangarang people; and a community-led campaign designed to achieve zero net emissions by 2030.
Over the years, the awards have gradually moved beyond simply rewarding towns for their tidiness.
Instead they are now focused on recognising and celebrating grassroots initiatives and positive actions taken by communities and individuals.
Keep Victoria Beautiful Tidy Town spokesperson Dick Gross said it was these initiatives and actions that fostered a strong sense of community and helped safeguard the environment.
“Ultimately strong communities are the lifeblood of our rural and regional towns and critical to their long-term sustainability,” he said.
The categories for this year’s Sustainable Communities — Tidy Town Awards include: Education, Energy, Litter, Waste, Environment, Indigenous Culture, Heritage and Culture, Community, Social Wellbeing and Young Legends.
There is also the opportunity for towns to win the overall Sustainable Community of the Year award and for individuals to win the Dame Phyllis Frost award, which is presented to those who have made a particularly outstanding contribution to their communities.
In addition, a $1000 grant will go to a promising new project that is regarded worthy of supporting and getting off the ground.
Entries close on May 1, with the winners to be announced at a gala event in Beechworth on September 5.
To enter, visit: awardsonline.net.au/2020/tidytowns/
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