Food for Thought that will help create jobs and provide training to Mildura residents will receive a $15,000 Brumby Labor Government grant, the Member for Northern Victoria Region, Candy Broad announced today.
Ms Broad said Food for Thought, set up by East End Community House, was among 14 organisations across Victoria to share in more than $348,000 in Community Enterprise Grants to provide vulnerable Victorians a chance to participate in the workforce.
“The Brumby Labor Government is taking action to help vulnerable Victorians during these tough global economic times,” Ms Broad said.
“This grant will help East End Community House establish a healthy takeaway food outlet in a large public housing area in the East End area of Mildura.
The enterprise idea has arisen from a women's group run by East End Community House with local women keen to establish the enterprise as a community business to provide local employment opportunities and encourage healthy eating.
The funding is for business planning.
Ms Broad said social enterprises were not-for-profit businesses run by local people, providing opportunities for them to get jobs and build skills, confidence and community connections.
“Community Enterprise Grants offer a genuine way to help new social enterprises get off the ground or give a boost to help grow those already established.”
“Projects such as Food for Thought are a terrific way of giving people a chance to develop skills and confidence needed to enter the workforce while also offering services to local communities,” Ms Broad said.
At the launch of a new $8 million initiative to support social enterprises, Community Development Minister Peter Batchelor said the Brumby Labor Government supported the development of sustainable business ideas offering ways for people to participate in the workforce.
“The Brumby Labor Government believes that if you invest in people’s capability, ingenuity and creativity, they will seize the opportunity with both hands,” Mr Batchelor said.
“This is why we’ve joined with a private family foundation and the community sector to form Social Traders, an independent social enterprise development organisation.
“We know this is a model that works and will have real outcomes for people who are struggling to develop skills and get into work.”
Mr Batchelor said the Government’s commitment of $4 million for Social Traders was in addition to $9 million already committed to support social enterprise development since 2004.
“The new, independent organisation will draw on the experience of others and build on existing programs to support emerging social enterprises get started and succeed,” he said.
“Helping social enterprises is an element of A Fairer Victoria, the Brumby Labor Government’s action plan to address disadvantage and create opportunity.”