Community grant helps church celebrate 100 years

A 100-year-old church will remain a safe and beautiful space for generations to come with support from a Moonee Valley City Council community grant. 

Originally built in 1925 as a Sunday school hall, St George’s Anglican Church in Travancore sits on a generous parcel of land where a thriving urban forest has sprung up. The grounds serve as an safe, open space for the local community, with many churchgoers and other residents accessing the yard to enjoy the green space. 

St George’s locum vicar Dr Duncan Reid said the church applied for and secured a Biannual Community Grant to undertake arborist works across the grounds, and beautification works to the hall’s exterior. 

“A lot of people use this garden space, so it was important to make sure the trees were healthy [to give] us confidence that the grounds can continue to be enjoyed safely by the community,” he said. 

For Dr Reid, the grant represented more than just financial support. 

“I felt we were being affirmed by the Council and by the local community,” he said. 

“It gave us a sense that what we’re doing here is useful and valued, and that we’re part of the broader community.” 

He also praised the grants application process, describing it as straightforward and well supported. 

“I found it very straightforward and very easy to do,” he said. 

“There are workshops available and Council staff are there to answer questions and help guide people through the process.” 

He wants to see other community organisations share in the grant funding too. 

” If you’ve got a project that will benefit the community, it’s definitely worth exploring and having a conversation with Council’s grants team.” 

Moonee Valley City Council’s Community Grants Program supports local groups, organisations and residents to deliver projects that strengthen community connections, celebrate local identity and improve community wellbeing. 

The next round is open from July 17 this year.  

To learn more about available grants and the support available throughout the application process, visit Council’s grants webpage.