Tongala Community Centre president Andrew Bader and co-ordinator Leanne Pattison in the centre’s Foodbank.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
Known for feeding their town’s most vulnerable, the team at an essential Tongala service has just received its own lifeline.
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Tongala Community Activities Centre will receive $48,025 through the Victorian Government’s Tiny Town Fund to facilitate upgrades and rehabilitation works.
The centre’s volunteer management committee president Andrew Bader said the funding would be used to revitalise the building and its services – giving them “a vision” for the future.
“This is a great benefit to the community — every penny of this is going back into facilities that the community use,” Mr Bader said.
“Now, we don’t have to be in a panic trying to raise money — it takes the pressure off financially.”
The centre serves multiple roles: it’s a Foodbank for vulnerable residents, houses a childcare centre and after-school care program, and provides a private meeting space for social services consultations.
The funding will help the centre upgrade the spaces, storage, meeting rooms and the Foodbank area, as well as replace ageing flooring and fittings in all rooms.
Some exciting improvements are already visible, with the childcare centre boasting fresh flooring and vibrant new paint, injecting a burst of energy into the cherished decades-old building.
Tongala Community Centre president Andrew Bader and co-ordinator Leanne Pattison welcome residents to have a look at the upgrades at the centre.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
The team that co-ordinates the centre is a group of about seven volunteers on the committee, as well as nine on the management team who make sure the town’s community hub keeps up on its feet.
Mr Bader, who is also a volunteer at the Tongala Op Shop, the Tongala Lions Club and the church, said it’s the volunteers who kept the town running.
“The community centre isn’t here to make a fortune — we’re not here to make the mega bucks,” Mr Bader said.
“All we want to do it just provide for the community and what they need.”
It’s one of 350 projects across the state which have received funding through the Tiny Towns Fund, including Rochester Community House which received $37,108 for its Active Rochester project.
The Tiny Towns Fund is part of the Victorian Government’s $45 billion investment over the past decade across regional Victoria.
Regional Development Minister Jaclyn Symes said the fund would revitalise community spaces, establish accessible walking paths, and enhance vital facilities across the board.
“Rural and regional Victoria has so much to offer, which is why we’re continuing to support projects that enhance our tiniest towns, strengthen community connections and encourage more visitors to all corners of the state,” she said.
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