Gerald Lynch
Lalor Neighbourhood House is one of 10 lucky groups to receive a grant through the Melbourne Airport’s
The airport is giving $10,000 to 10 separate neighbourhood houses and community centres with funds directly assisting children, teenagers, and adults in their studies, training, and career endeavours.
Lalor Neighbourhood House manager Meredith Budge is very pleased to receive the funding saying it has come at the perfect time as they continue to improve the look of the local area.
“The money will help with our ultimate dream of extending our murals all the way down May Road to the Lalor library,” she said. “We want to fill the roads with beauty.”
Ms Budge says they will use the funds to build on the work they’ve been doing this year with the help of previous government grants, to further their work on the Lalor refresh project.
“The funds will help us to explore our potential to create a social enterprise and develop more murals, we’ll look to start this in January,” she said.
“It allows us to further tap into community talent and provide them with more resources and opportunities to showcase their art. We have a wide range of young and old volunteers, including people with intellectual disabilities, and people from our partnership with the Thomastown Community Correction Service.
“We hope to remove any barriers that may impact a person’s ability to study and work, which is why we meticulously selected community initiatives that encourage tuition, connections and practical skill-based training that can lead to employment opportunities.”
Melbourne Airport chief executive Lorie Argus said the investments are testament to how important neighbourhood houses are for local communities.
