For many small towns their local hall, social club or show society are the very heart of the community. They offer an area to meet, host local events and celebrate the township. A Community Hall’s kitchen is often at the very centre of all this activity. The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW Foundation (RASF) Community Kitchen Grant recognises this and understands the difficulty of raising money for local community projects. The Community Kitchen Grant awards kitchen cabinetry and benchtops alongside at least $10,000 worth of kitchen appliances every year to a New South Wales town which successfully demonstrates the benefits a kitchen upgrade would have on the local community. Used by celebrity chefs in their demonstrations in the Woolworths Fresh Food Dome at the iconic Sydney Royal Easter Show, these industrial appliances are some of the best equipment on the market. Whether you are a community centre, welfare organisation, service club, church, sporting club or Show Society in New South Wales, The RASF encourages you to let us know how this grant could benefit your town. 2018 winner Sal Edwards, Community Development Coordinator at Coolah Showground & Recreation Reserve Trust, said it can be difficult for country communities to rally the support to upgrade facilities, “Winning this grant is a huge boost for us. The catering at the many events held at the Coolah Showground are valuable fundraising opportunities for numerous community groups and the profits provide much-needed funding for their projects and initiatives,” Sal Edwards said about Coolah winning the 2018 Community Kitchen Grant. Runner-up Tooraweenah Memorial Hall’s Secretary, Lester Thurston, echoed the importance of their kitchen upgrade on community spirit; “Tooraweenah is a small but very proactive community and the hall is an integral part of the social fabric of the area,” Lester Thurston said. “Grants like this really make a big difference to small communities like ours,” he said. Tooraweenah Memorial Hall also received $9,000 worth of products while third placed Hay Showground took $2500 back to their community alongside extra benches and cabinetry. RAS Foundation Manager, Cecilia Logan says the grant is a unique opportunity to support our regional and rural communities; “Community Halls and social clubs play an important role in a country community and what better way to bring people together than through a central location such as a kitchen,” Cecilia Logan said. “We are honoured to be able to donate these appliances to towns who need them most”, Ms Logan said. Applications opened on November 19 and close February 17 2019. The RAS Foundation Community Kitchen Grant winners will be announced during the Sydney Royal Easter Show in April 2019. Interested applicants are encouraged to visit https://www.rasnsw.com.au/foundation/scholarships-and-grants/community-futures-grant/ for more information and to complete the online application form. Visit www.rasf.org.au for more information on the RAS Foundation