In the wake of a devastating arson attack that destroyed its beloved clubrooms, the Fish Creek Football Netball Club is turning to the power of community stories and cherished recipes to rebuild.

The club has received a $5,000 grant to create a recipe book with content sourced from locals. Club Co-President, Ray Stefani said the project aims to build community resilience by acknowledging the contributions of generations of member families.

“Through the ‘Recipes for Recovery’ project, we aim to capture the rich culinary traditions and personal histories of local families, creating a treasured recipe book that will not only preserve these memories for generations but also support fundraising efforts for the Club’s restoration,” Ray said.

“Fish Creek Football Netball Club is a grassroots sporting club that offers a safe and inclusive space for people of all ages to participate in sport, spectate, socialise and volunteer.”

“Members contribute widely across the community, partnering to support the primary school, bowling club, the hall committee, and offer weekly meals to the community during the football season.”

In 2023, the clubroom facilities were destroyed by an arson attack, with the insurance covering only a portion of the rebuild cost. The Club hopes to rally the community towards a brighter future and celebrate the deep connections within Fish Creek by gathering and sharing these flavourful tales.

Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) Philanthropic Service Manager, Danielle Griffin said this project will strengthen the community socially and economically through its engagement of community, the creation of a local book to preserve history, and its support of fundraising for the rebuilding of the important local football and netball club.

“Four letters of support including a local resident of the Catholic Women’s League, Fish Creek Community Development Group and the local Historical Society demonstrate support for what the organisation is doing in creating this historical document and supporting the ability to fundraise to rebuild the club rooms,” Danielle said.

Each year Gardiner Foundation offers community grants of up to $5,000 to organisations in Victorian dairy communities. These grants are funded by Gardiner and distributed by the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR).

This initiative forms part of Gardiner’s commitment to strengthen dairy communities. The aim of this program is to strengthen Victorian dairy communities, by helping build their capacity to deal with local issues and enhance existing community infrastructure.

Since it began in 2003, the program has funded 604 community organisations with an investment of $2.4M in regional Victoria. This year, 27 grants were awarded across the state.

“The ‘Recipes for Recovery’ project idea occurred at the funeral of a local identity where someone commented on the local contributions of homemade food from mainly older residents and the importance of recording their recipes and stories,” Ray said.

“To create the book, volunteers will meet with community members, listen to their recollections of life in Fish Creek and type them into Word documents to produce the recipe book. Our volunteers will also take photos of the contributors, or their cooked recipes to create a visually appealing final product.”