Enablen helps local charity to secure share from community infrastructure investment partnership program
About the CIIP Grant
The $8 million Community Infrastructure Investment Partnership (CIIP) program was an initiative under the Queensland Government’s Unite and Recover: Queensland’s Economic Recovery Plan to support communities impacted by COVID-19. It planned to accelerate economic recovery through enhanced community infrastructure to deliver critical social services such as job-readiness programs. The competitive grants program was open to not-for-profit organisations to expand, upgrade or rebuild existing facilities that deliver vital social services.
Our client selectability ltd approached us to fulfill the grant application on its behalf. We completed a comprehensive grant application that resulted in selectability securing the required $800,000 to achieve the desired goals.
The grant was announced in February 2021 with a submission timeline of April 2021. The successful result was communicated in July 2021 and announced publicly by the Queensland government in September 2021 (Link: https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/93176).
Project description
Our client selectability, a not-for-profit charity with a 30-year history of supporting regional Queensland with high-quality mental health and suicide prevention services, intended to transform a recently purchased iconic, but run-down and unused building, in the city of Ayr called Caledonian Hall into a Mental Health Hub and Suicide Prevention Safe Haven.
The aim was to convert Caledonian Hall into a place of hope and opportunity, where much needed services will be provided for the betterment of the Burdekin community.
- Gained a deep understanding of the company’s long term plans for the project
- Researched the available funding for the proposed project to maximize the likelihood for success
- Collaborated closely with the client to scope and develop the optimal project to achieve the long term plans
- Developed a compelling grant application and submitted it well within time to the funder.
Apart from submitting supportive documents and data confirming the client’s credibility and intentions, Enablen managed to bring together significant further supporting material to supplement the Grant application including:
Infrastructure planning:
- Current Site photographs, Floor plan & Project Plan
- 3D wireframe for the project developed by our CAD artists, available at https://youtu.be/rPRxVy8Frqk
- Proposed Site 3D walk-through video developed by our CAD artists , available at https://youtu.be/ZcKr5YbZHMY
Community Support:
- Community support statement from a prominent community member – Video available at https://youtu.be/nBcdI9UezpE
- Letters of Support from the Burdekin Chamber of Commerce, Ayr Chamber of Commerce and relevant Members of Parliament.
Community Impact
Promoting Mental Health:
The Burdekin region relies heavily on its Agricultural sector for employment. In short, economic and resultant employment losses due to COVID impacts to the agricultural and hospitality sectors are contributing to a significant mental health situation within Burdekin communities, which were already challenged with higher than average suicide rates prior to the pandemic.
An active mental health hub in this once much-loved site manned by mental health professionals, peer workers and volunteers will contribute towards alleviating these effects through social support, mental health wellbeing and suicide prevention services.
Upskilling:
In line with CIIP objectives, this project also features an upskilling component, where selectability training will provide Nationally Recognised Training in community services and mental health. This will support employment readiness for the Burdekin community in the high-growth community services sector, creating much-needed economic opportunities outside of the agriculture sector.
Direct Employment Opportunities:
Upon project completion, a number of resource positions will be shortlisted and filled. This project will support almost a hundred new roles by 2023 including 80 Lifestyle Support Workers (LSW), a Regional Coordinator, 2 Care Navigators to manage and moderate Mental Health Hub programs, a Counselor, positions and 10 volunteers.
