Harden Shire’s youth will benefit from a $25,000 Southern Phone Grant provided by telecommunications provider, Southern Phone. This now brings the funding total to $170,000 with over $16,000 raised locally by the committee and $130,000 provided by Harden Shire Council.
Southern Phone Chairman, Bill Hilzinger presented the community grant cheque to Councillor Matthew Stadtmiller, Councillor Cathy Sanderson and Mayor John Horton on Thursday 29th January. “Many young local residents will enjoy the improvements that these groups can make to our community thanks to this grant from Southern Phone,” said Mayor John Horton. “This grant has enabled some important projects to ‘get off the ground’ in our local area. Some of which had been well planned and partially funded by the community but just needed some extra financial support to bring the plans to life.”
More than $1 million has been distributed between 41 mostly regional Council areas in NSW as part of a new Southern Phone Community Grant Initiative. The program will see the telecommunications provider support community projects in each of its shareholder council areas to the value of $25,000 this year.
“We are very pleased to be able to provide this funding boost and glad to be able to make a difference in these regional areas,” said Southern Phone Managing Director, Mark Warren. “This $1 million funding boost has seen community gardens, playgrounds, shade structures, sporting fields and more built or improved all over NSW and we are thrilled to be able to support regional communities in this way.”
“We know there are many regional community groups in real need of extra support for important local activities. These grants are designed to meet those needs.”
The funding provided through the Southern Phone Grants is in addition to the dividends Southern Phone already pays each year to shareholder Councils.
“Southern Phone is already a unique business as we were set up to provide quality jobs in regional Australia and return the funds we generate back into the community. It is a very unusual, but successful, business model,” said Mark. “This Grant program builds on our existing commitment to supporting rural and regional Australia.”
The Southern Phone Grants are being distributed to community groups via the Mayor of their local Council.
Southern Phone Company Ltd was formed in 2002 after the receipt of funding from the Commonwealth Government’s Networking the Nation (NTN) program. A public company, Southern Phone is owned by 41 Local Councils, each of which has an equal shareholding. In the past 12 years Southern Phone has grown to be the second largest home phone provider in regional Australia and provides fixed line, mobile and Internet services to around 100,000 customers around the nation. The company is based in Moruya (NSW) and employs more than 135 staff. The Skate Park committee are looking for further corporate sponsorships to help fund the project.
