Life’s better when we’re connected. That’s why our Principal Partner RAC is helping Town Team Movement and the local Town Teams to create more vibrant and engaged communities. RAC has already funded three rounds of the RAC Connecting Communities Fund, contributing more than $230,000 to help 40 Town Team projects across Western Australia.
The next round of the Connecting Communities Fund is anticipated to be launched in June 2023, so start thinking about your project ideas!
Projects Funded By RAC in Round 3 of the Connecting Communities Fund
The projects that RAC helped to fund in 2021 are listed below. They might give you some ideas for your own project.
Metro Projects
- Discover Dianella – A run-down park fondly known as Dig Dig Park will be transformed into an inviting play space that will attract young families to relax and connect. The project features a community artwork, toy garage and little street library.
- Mt Hawthorn Hub – A new local pop-up market activating quiet spaces within Mt Hawthorn by providing home businesses and entrepreneurs a platform to showcase their local products and services.
- Scarborough Beach Association –Scarborough has a rich and evolving history over more than 100 years. The pilot will test augmented reality technology to develop a Scarborough Heritage Trail to share the stories of significant places around the community.
- Baysie Rollers (Bayswater) – A new welcoming, vibrant and exciting space, designed to bring the community into the town centre to connect, socialise and support local businesses.
- Creative Maylands – Bringing local businesses, community groups and residents together to give the much-loved Roxy Lane a makeover, with public art, nooks, and greening transforming it into a Maylands community hub.
- Flower District (West Leederville) – The Northwood Community Festival – incorporating stalls, children’s activities, workshops, and offerings from local businesses. A highlight will be the interactive installation of the legacy mural by a local indigenous artist, which will feature significant and historical plant species from the area.
- Leederville Connect – Melrose Street Play Street and Blank Walls join forces to transform a gloomy freeway noise wall, the dreary backdrop to our beloved play street cul-de-sac, into vibrant street art on a major scale.
- Inglewood on Beaufort – Delivery of a permanent arts hub with a studio, workshop, exhibition and retail spaces where local creatives practice, share and exhibit their talents, and the community gathers, learns and celebrates.
Regional Projects
- Horrocks Town Team – The Horrocks Lookout Project will transform an underutilized beachfront zone into a reflective and colourful public open space for the local community recently impacted by Cyclone Seroja.
- Ignite Wicky (Wickepin) – Wickepin Harvest Festival. The inaugural festival will celebrate all things uniquely Wickepin. A fun, family friendly day out showcasing and connecting rural community with music, food, entertainment, competitions, and games.
- York Town Team – This project will transform two currently unusable areas on York’s Avon Terrace. The installation of parklets that will provide seating, shade, flower boxes and art, making the parklets comfortable and attractive areas for people to gather and sit, rest, talk and enjoy.
- Dowerin This Together – The façade of the Tin Dog General Store will be transformed into beautiful landmark where a series of community engagement activities will be held.
- Spencer Park Town Team (Albany) – The extension of a community garden and gathering space for locals to enjoy where two annual events will be held that mark the beginning and end of Harvest season.
- Narambeen Town Team – A community street festival where the main street of Narembeen will be beautified and activated.
- Portside Town Team (Port Headland) – An exciting street festival showcasing the best of Port Hedland that includes a community mural, guerrilla gardening, live performances and amazing food to help build a connected, inclusive and engaged community.
Projects Funded by RAC in Round 2 of Connecting Communities Fund
The projects that RAC helped to fund in Round 2 are listed below.
Metro Projects
- Subiaco Street Side Gallery – local artists will transform planter boxes and bollards along Rokeby Road to bring the street to life and celebrate Subiaco’s culture and heritage.
- The Wandering Orchard – an underutilised community parklet featuring tables, seating and fruit trees will be relocated from the Wellard Train Station to Wellard Square to encourage more activity and increase traffic for local businesses.
- Community Mural and Play Space – the Hilltop Centre in Doubleview will be revitalised, and feature new bench seating, a play space for families, as well as a mural designed by a local artist and installed by the community.
- West Perth Native Bee-Scene Mural – designed by a local artists, and painted by the community, a native-bee and indigenous flora mural will be installed in West Perth to celebrate indigenous flora and fauna.
- Really, Really Free Markets – two community ‘sharing’ markets held at the Midland Town Hall where residents bring what they can and take what they need, all for free.
- Library of things – a digital and physical inventory of household tools, toys, equipment and appliances that are volunteered by locals to loan to residents of Victoria Park.
- Community Parklet – a place making activity to install new park benches and landscaping to revitalise an underutilised public space in Brentwood.
- Outdoor Environmental Education – a community garden and environmental education program about the flora and fauna at Champion Lakes.
- The Long Table for Sustainability – a ticketed sunset dinner that will bring the Leighton Beach community together to promote their sustainability progress and the longer-term goals and alignment with the City of Fremantle’s One Planet Living Strategy.
Regional projects
- Telstra Block Park – land surrounding an old Telstra building in Dunsborough will be converted into welcoming parkland where locals and visitors can meet, socialise and relax.
- Busselton Street Art Project – locals will be invited to help transform Opal Lane, situated in the heart of Busselton. Seven murals will be painted by local artists, and an unused parking lot will be brought to life.
- Activate Portside – a dynamic series of free community events and workshops which utilise public spaces and local businesses in Port Headland.