Addressing the issues that matter most to youth in country Queensland

November 2023

JVT wants to amplify the voices of young people in country Queensland, a goal shared by our new partners at the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR).

At JVT, we know that successful solutions are those led, driven or informed directly by country communities. The people impacted are best placed to identify the issues to be addressed.

FRRR is focused on connecting common purposes and investment with locally-prioritised needs to create rural, regional and remote communities that are vital and resilient.

Recognising that more communities across Queensland could benefit from their great work, JVT has committed $100,000 over three years to specifically help improve life for young people in rural, regional, and remote Queensland. The dedicated grants mean more youth-led initiatives can come to life in the state. The funding will help:

• raise more awareness of FRRR and the broad range of work they do to support country communities
• build capacity for young country people and communities, and help organisations connect with youth and address the issues that matter most to them, and
• fund more grants for Queensland organisations to implement ideas developed by youth and for youth living in rural, regional and remote areas, through the FRRR ABC Heywire Youth Innovation Grants program.

Making a difference
The program closely aligns with JVT’s focus on supporting projects that:

• build lasting capacity and momentum. Country communities, the grant recipients, the youth involved, and FRRR will all benefit from the funding
• have multiple impacts. With a number of grants available, multiple issues can be addressed in multiple ways in multiple communities, impacting youth, the community, and the grantee organisations
• build relationships that leverage collective resources, and  partnering and collaborating with like-minded organisations like FRRR and ABC Heywire allows JVT to use complementary knowledge, connections and experience to enhance our impact. The grants also encourage and develop community partnerships
  with youth, and
• are community-led, driven or informed. Grants are awarded to organisations who will work with young people to adapt and adopt solutions to address the identified ideas for their unique community.

Grants in action
In 2023, 40 applications were received from across Australia including eight from Queensland. Applications were carefully reviewed by a Youth Assessment Panel made up of six Heywire Regional Youth Summit alumni, with 16 grants awarded totalling $148,721. Five projects in Queensland were funded, with four of these thanks to JVT’s contribution to this program. You can read more about the projects funded here.

In addition, JVT’s support allowed FRRR’s Youth Program Manager to visit six remote communities on the Cape York Peninsula, meeting with eight youth-supporting organisations. Two of the projects funded by this program resulted from that trip. Additional applications were successful in other FRRR programs.

We look forward to sharing more impacts in the coming years.

Read more about JVT and the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal

• JVT announces funding to bring youth-led initiatives to life in country Queensland
• Youth have their say on what matters most
• Supporting ideas developed by and for youth