Home in Place received an overwhelmingly positive response to its inaugural Green Thumbs Grants initiative, with 304 expressions of interest submitted by tenants across our regions.

The initiative, designed to support tenants with a passion for gardening, offered grants for both personal and shared garden projects. Following a thorough review and assessment process, 118 grants have now been approved. This includes 109 for personal gardens and 9 for shared spaces.

“We had an incredible response to our inaugural Green Thumb Grants initiatives, with 304 EOIs received,” says Jenn Caine, Executive Manager Community Development at Home in Place.

“Successful tenants have now been advised, and Community Participation Officers are working through contacting them to discuss detail and make arrangements to get their gardens to them. We definitely see this as an ongoing initiative.”

Personal gardens were grouped into categories to help guide budget planning. The most popular request was for raised garden beds, followed by plants and vertical gardens. The East Maitland branch received the highest number of applications and will see 27 personal gardens come to life.

Personal garden grants:
Brisbane: 10
Broken Hill: 2
Central Coast: 13
Dubbo: 4
East Maitland: 27
Lake Macquarie: 14
Newcastle: 15
Taree: 10
Upper Hunter: 14

Types of personal gardens funded
Raised garden bed: 51
Plants: 32
Vertical garden: 15
Other items such as soil or mulch: 11

Shared gardens will also be supported across several regions, with initial community events planned for spring. Jenn noted that these gardens will be developed with support from Community Participation Officers, with further planning to continue into the next financial year.

Shared garden grants:
Brisbane: 2 (adjoining complexes)
East Maitland: 3
Lake Macquarie: 2
Newcastle: 2