It mightn’t look like much just yet, but this sapling at Bally’s Patch community garden in Balgownie will grow into a “magical tree” capable of producing different fruits. Photo: Bally’s Patch Facebook.
A new round of community grants that allowed a beloved Illawarra community garden to purchase a “magical tree” is now open.
Community Bank Wollongong, part of the Bendigo Bank Group, has opened its 2024 round of community investment grants.
Aimed at delivering positive community impact, the grants allow Community Bank Wollongong to reinvest a portion of its branch-generated profits back into the community.
“We recognise that without successful communities, there cannot be successful businesses,” a Community Bank Wollongong spokesperson said.
“Our grants, sponsorships and donations are not just financial contributions; they are investments in the future of our community.”
One such investment was in Bally’s Patch, a community garden in the heart of Balgownie. For more than a decade, this garden has been run by a group of dedicated community volunteers.
Bally’s Patch president Hannah McLeod said the garden’s ethos organically invited participation from a cross-section of the community, and its foremost purpose was connection.
“We have people of all ages and backgrounds in the community. We run monthly meet-ups where the community comes together, and new mums, professionals, retirees, all kinds of people work alongside each other to do all the jobs that need to be done that month,” she said.
“Through Bally’s Patch, we’ve all met wonderful members of the community we probably would have otherwise gone our whole lives just passing by on the street.”
With its Community Bank Wollongong grant, Bally Patch recently branched out to plant a Fruit Salad Tree.
“We took a vote and someone made the suggestion. I had never heard of a Fruit Salad Tree before, but this is a magical tree.”
A multi-grafted tree that can grow up to six different fruits (typically stone fruits, citrus and apple) all on the one tree, Fruit Salad Trees certainly seem miraculous, but they don’t come cheap.
“Bendigo Bank is our bank and we love them, they’re so helpful, and this grant is just one example of that,” Hannah said. “It was with a lot of excitement that we planted our Fruit Salad Tree, and we’re looking forward to tending it over the years as a community.”
For its latest round, Community Bank Wollongong is seeking grant applications for programs or projects to benefit the Illawarra in the categories of Women’s Health, Men’s Health and Community Benefit.
Organisations looking to fund projects in these areas are encouraged to apply for a community investment grant by close of business on Wednesday, 30 October via Community Bank Wollongong.
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