Organisations in the Clarence and Richmond Valleys have been successful in securing a grant from the NSW Government to help celebrate the 2016 NSW Seniors Festival in April, Clarence MP, Chris Gulaptis announced last week. Mr Gulaptis said the Seniors Festival Grants Program provides grants to community groups to deliver local events or activities during the Seniors Festival, which will take place from 1-10 April. The following organisations are among 200 others across NSW who will receive grants from the NSW Government that will help the community celebrate the festival: Iluka Sandpipers RSL Day Club – $400 Barbeque River Cruise; Ellangowan Hall Committee – $400 High tea and Entertainment; Grafton Baptist Church – trading as The Hub Baptist – $450 Seniors Sports Carnival; New School of Arts Neighbourhood House, South Grafton – $400 The Genteel Poetry Slam. Now in its 59^th year, the NSW Seniors Festival (formerly NSW Seniors Week) is the largest festival for seniors in the Southern Hemisphere, with more than 300,000 people taking part in more than 1,000 free and discounted events across the state.