Homelessness support, school learning programs, domestic violence assistance and mental wellbeing initiatives are among the services sharing in $309,891 through this year’s Hawkesbury ClubGRANTS awards.
Twenty-one organisations received funding provided by Windsor RSL, Richmond Club, Panthers North Richmond and Windsor Leagues Club.
The recipients were recognised at a presentation at Windsor RSL on September 8.
The largest allocation, $62,000 from Windsor RSL, went to The Jeremiah Project to help provide a place for people experiencing homelessness, loneliness and financial hardship.
Hawkesbury Community Kitchen received $30,000 from Richmond Club towards operating costs, while Hawkesbury Helping Hands received $12,000 from Richmond Club and Windsor Leagues Club to improve its Homeless Hub.
Education was another significant focus.
Learning Links received $37,488, funded equally by Windsor RSL and Richmond Club, for targeted literacy and numeracy support at Hobartville Public School and Windsor South Public School.
Merana Aboriginal Community Association for the Hawkesbury received $25,000 from Windsor RSL and Panthers North Richmond for its Activating Kidz program.
Windsor RSL provided $20,000 for Gotcha4Life’s Mentally Fit Schools Program at Kurmond Public and Windsor Public schools.
Other grants included $7,500 for Escabags to supply more than 100 escape bags for adults and children fleeing domestic violence, and $19,750 for Heartbeat of Football’s Heart Health Matters project.
Pink Finns received two grants totalling $25,000 for bereavement support and volunteer wellbeing and resilience.
The funding also supports disability services, foster carers, youth mentoring, performing artists, children with cancer and vulnerable schoolchildren.
Why clubs provide the funding
ClubGRANTS links community contributions to the NSW gaming machine tax system.
Registered clubs earning more than $1 million a year in gaming machine profits can receive a tax rebate for eligible community expenditure of up to 1.85 per cent of the amount above that threshold. Alternatively, they pay that additional amount in tax.
The scheme therefore gives qualifying clubs a financial incentive to direct money into eligible community programs. It is more precise to describe this as a tax-linked funding arrangement than an unconditional requirement to donate.
To qualify for the full rebate, clubs must allocate at least 0.75 per cent of gaming machine profits above $1 million to Category 1 projects, which include community welfare, health and social services.
For example, a club recording $5 million in annual gaming machine profits would calculate the rebate on $4 million. The maximum 1.85 per cent rebate would be $74,000, with at least $30,000 allocated to eligible services.
These percentages apply to gaming machine profits above the threshold, rather than every dollar placed through the machines. The local grants announcement does not disclose each club’s gaming profits or tax rebate, so it cannot establish what proportion of those clubs’ gaming income the announced grants represent.
What about pubs?
Pubs are not subject to the same ClubGRANTS community-funding arrangement. Hotels operating gaming machines pay tax under a separate schedule and do not receive this registered-club rebate for community grants. They may voluntarily support charities, sporting teams and local projects.
For the Hawkesbury organisations receiving this year’s awards, the grants will help meet practical needs from keeping community services operating to providing learning support and assistance for people facing hardship.
