Community grant for Bass Coast Specialist School

Bass Coast Specialist School is one of the five successful recipients of the recent Community Grants program, delivered by the Bass Coast Community Foundation (BCCF).

The school was seeking financial support to introduce a specialised play-based therapy program for primary and lower secondary ages students diagnosed with learning difficulties and communication disorders.

They had identified a service delivery gap for younger students, aged 6-12 years who do not currently benefit from the Mental Health Practitioner Initiative, with many counselling services in the area only available for older children aged 14 years and above.

Securing funding from BCCF will help the school support more students, said Assistant Principal, Caroline Sibly.

“This funding of $5000 means that we can better support our students, many of whom can’t communicate with spoken word, and intervene earlier to help them with some strategies and tools to cope with difficulties.

“This evidenced-based therapy will allow our students to express, regulate, communicate, practice and master new skills as well as their emotional responses.”

Ms Sibly said the program is considered best practice and is delivered through one-on-one or small groups depending on the goals for each child. The model also seeks to build the capacity of teaching staff in the field, along with supporting the wider school community with behavioural, emotional, and social difficulties. 

“We are incredibly grateful to Bass Coast Community Foundation for their generosity and ongoing support of our students and families from across the Bass Coast and are looking forward to commencing the program in Term 3,” Ms Sibly said.

New Executive Officer for the Foundation, Sarah Bourke said the Community Grants aim to help local eligible organisations identify and address areas of need and disadvantage through evidence-based early interventions, and help build resilience, well-being, and opportunities for Bass Coast residents.

“All Community Grants are funded by the generosity of the Foundation's donors from the Bass Coast community,” she said.

The other successful organisations in this round of funding include:

• TAC L2P Driver Training: $5000 to deliver driver training for 16–23-year olds from families of disadvantage.
• Phillip Island Community and Learning Centre: $5000 to support the delivery of food pantry services for Phillip Island families.
• YMCA Cowes: $5000 to support disadvantaged youth to attend out of school activities such as music lessons, swimming etc.
• YES Youth Hub

There will be another round of the Community Grants available later this year.

For more information about the Foundation go to www.bccf.org.au and follow them on Facebook.