Tamworth Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC), Armidale-based Beyond Empathy and Tamworth-based Gomeroi Education and Training will now take part in a pitch coaching workshop to hone their presentations before the big night.

The Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network (HNECC PHN) event puts the power in the hands of the community to fund health projects.

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Tamworth LALC’s proposal is to provide positive cultural, skill-building and recreational activities for three days each school holiday period for up to 60 Aboriginal primary school students and their families. 

Beyond Empathy’s proposal is to for a supported, creative men’s program that prioritises mental health, relationships and transitional work skills, for Aboriginal men in Moree’s Mari-Dhaadharr (Gomeroi for man-hut).

Gomeroi Education and Training’s plan is to work with local Aboriginal men’s groups to develop a framework for Aboriginal men to influence decision-making and be a voice on issues that affect their lives and communities.

HNECC PHN chief executive officer Richard Nankervis said this round of funding focused on Aboriginal health initiatives.

And while distributing grant funding wasn’t new, he said giving a crowd of community members the chance to distribute it was an innovative concept.

“It’s the first time a participatory grantmaking event has been held in a regional centre,” he said.

“Our aim is to include the broader community in the decision-making process, and participatory grantmaking is a means of putting funding decisions into the hands of local stakeholders; the community is engaged to directly decide how and where to allocate funding,” Mr Nankervis said.

Mr Nankervis said even the coaching workshop, on March 21, would build the organisations’ capacity, by teaching them how to structure and deliver a pitch.

“It gives them the skills not just for our event but for any other opportunity in the future – be it funding applications or presenting their ideas in front of an audience.”

At the Pitch Night, each finalist will have six minutes to pitch their project, followed by six minutes of questions from the audience.

Audience members from across the region will each have a cheque they can then pledge to any of the projects, with roughly $180,000 to be distributed.

“It’s a bit like Shark Tank but with less tension and more goodwill in the room,” Mr Nankervis said.

There are still limited places available for audience members, who must register to attend.

It’s free, and food, drinks and a funding cheque to distribute are included.