The Dimboola Lions Club is proud to announce the recipients of its inaugural community grant – an initiative made possible through the proceeds of its Victorian Container Deposit Scheme (CDS Vic) reverse vending machine (RVM).
The Club presented five Hindmarsh Shire community groups with grants at the Tower Park Market on Saturday 9 November, celebrating the occasion at the much-loved town market.
The funds for this grant were made possible through donations and handling fees collected at the Dimboola Lions Club’s RVM since November 2023. Each 10-cent refund donated by members of the community directly contributed to the pool of funds available, highlighting the power of collective action to make a real difference locally.
The recipients of the inaugural community grants included:
- Gerang Gerung Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre received $657.03 for macropod food for the next 12 months.
- Dimboola Sporting Club received $5,200 for improving their recycling program with new infrastructure, including new bins, fencing, and a caged trailer to be used for recycling.
- The Sidney Nolan Studio received $1,000 for the renewal of their building facade.
- Dimboola RSL has been awarded $800 for a heavy duty stick vacuum cleaner, and
- The Dimboola Girl Guides received $4,400 to help replace the kitchen roof at the Arura Girl Guide Camp.
The TOMRA Cleanaway team were thrilled to make the journey up to Dimboola to celebrate the awarding of these grant funds, stopping in at a number of refund points along the way. Anna Wells – Network Development and Compliance Manager Vic, Claire McCormack – Communications and Engagement Manager Vic, and Steve Rainey – Account Manager, visited Murtoa Foodworks, Rainbow Servo and Cafe, and BP Nhill while travelling to Dimboola.
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- Claire and Anna in front of the iconic rainbow sign in Rainbow, Victoria while visiting the Rainbow Servo & Cafe.
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- Rainbow Standalone Reverse Vending Machine located at Rainbow Servo & Cafe
Regular site visits like these are standard practice for TOMRA Cleanaway’s container deposit scheme operations, allowing us to maintain strong relationships with our hosts and allowing us to gain real world experience of our service offerings.
CDS Vic in the Hindmarsh Shire
Residents across the Hindmarsh Shire returned over 1.4 million eligible drink containers over the last 12 months, resulting in over $140,000 going back into the pockets of residents across the shire.
Dimboola Lions Club President Rod McKenzie highlighted the positive response from community members, noting that hundreds of volunteer hours have gone into supporting the club’s activities, including operating the reverse vending machine 7 days a week, which has now been running for nearly a year.
“It’s important that we ensure the funds generated by the scheme support projects that benefit the Dimboola community,” said Mr McKenzie.
“We’re keen to attract more members and volunteers to undertake our activities and support initiatives like this grant scheme.”
You can visit the Dimboola Lions Club reverse vending machine today at 17 Hindmarsh Street, Dimboola VIC 3414.
This article originally appeared in The Dimboola Banner
