newy.com.au – Forty learner drivers in Singleton will gain access to a safer driving course through a community grants round that will also fund emergency equipment at Upper Yango and science workshops for Hunter primary school students.
PCYC Singleton is among 11 Hunter organisations awarded funding through Transgrid’s Community Partnerships Program. Club manager David Andrews said financial pressure prevented some young drivers from completing the accredited Safer Drivers Course, which the grant would help them access.
The club will use the funding to help learners develop their skills and confidence on regional roads.
At Upper Yango, the landholders association will install an automated external defibrillator and provide a community training session with a registered nurse. The funding will also support the purchase of other emergency response equipment.
“With an ageing population, an AED will provide added medical security, together with a first aid kit for less critical emergencies,” association president North Sullivan said.
The association will buy a water-spray knapsack to supplement its firefighting resources and a petrol generator to keep critical communications and equipment working during power outages. Mr Sullivan said outages were commonplace during fire and flood events.
The University of Newcastle’s SMART Program will use its grant to reach more Hunter students through interactive school science shows and workshops.
Its SMART Squad sessions give senior primary students the chance to investigate sustainability challenges and experiment with renewable energy technologies. Team leader Megan Walker said the program aimed to build students’ understanding of energy and encourage their interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“One of the most rewarding parts of our work is seeing students make connections between what they’re learning and the world around them,” Ms Walker said.
Transgrid says more than 470 organisations across NSW have shared in more than $1.9 million through the Community Partnerships Program since 2023.
Applications for the program’s second round of 2026 will open on Monday, 21 September.
