New cooking equipment for Girl Guides, an upgrade of the Mount Isa Special School multi-sensory room, a new front door for the Injilinji Community Kindergarten and camping equipment for Landcare volunteers will be supplied by the airport’s Community Benefit Fund.

Four Mount Isa community groups have been successful and received about $1,000 each for their projects. Eligible categories included health and wellbeing, community safety, education, environment and sustainability, arts and culture and indigenous projects.

The groups were selected after a record number of submissions were received during last year’s Community Benefit Fund, run by Mount Isa Airport’s parent company, Queensland Airports Limited (QAL).

Mount Isa Airport Chief Operating Officer Kevin Gill said the airport team valued the opportunity to give back to community groups.

“This fund allows us to contribute to grassroots organisations, which in many cases rely on third-party funding to get their projects off the ground,” he said.

“The Community Benefit Fund is an important vehicle for us to directly support our community in a meaningful way.

“We work closely with our grant recipients and enjoy seeing their projects come to life.”

Mount Isa Girl Guides has purchased new cooking equipment with their grant, to teach their girls cooking skills in the great outdoors.

Girl Guides Mount Isa District Manager Glenys Smith said the challenge of camping and cooking outdoors taught the girls important life skills.

“Our aim is to empower girls and young women to become confident, self-respecting, responsible community members,” she said.

“The funding will be used to purchase outdoor equipment such as gas cookers, camp ovens, cooking pots, grills and safety mitts. We will also purchase ropes and wooden sticks for making camp gadgets such as washing up stands and pack racks.”

A new streamlined application process was delivered for the Community Benefit Fund last year, making it quicker and easier for groups to apply, with the process typically taking less than an hour for organisations to complete.

The fund, together with the QAL corporate sponsorship program, supports more than 80 local community, business, environmental and tourism initiatives across Queensland and NSW each year.

The 2020 round will reopen in coming months through the Mount Isa Airport and QAL websites.

Grant recipients and initiatives:

1) Mount Isa Landcare Group - Purchase camping equipment for Landcare volunteers

2) Girl Guides Queensland - Mount Isa Girl Guides - Purchase cooking equipment that will be used to provide girls with outdoor cooking skills

3) Injilinji Community Kindergarten - Provide safe and secure front door for kindergarten

4) Mount Isa Special School - Upgrade multi-sensory room equipment

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