Taking Australia by storm – NextGen secures national funding
With groups now established or becoming established in six of the seven industry states and territories, it is little surprise that NextGen has captured the interest of industry at the national level.
Nursery & Garden Industry Australia (NGIA) is pleased to announce that funding is now available to assist state and territory NextGen groups finance their events, activities and production of support material.
The new national NextGen funds were made possible by the generous pledges of Paul Cooling, international judge for the 2007 Yates Nursery & Garden Industry Awards and Horticultural Training (Queensland) and matched funding from Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL).
NextGen groups may apply for up to $550 (GST inclusive) to put towards promotional flyers, speaker fees, banners, venue hire or to offset other costs involved in organising activities for NextGen members.
“NextGen has already yielded wonderful results in terms of encouraging young people to embrace the industry and become actively involved in its development,” said Jenny Lambert, NGIA CEO.
“This funding is intended to add value to work already being undertaken in the states and support the growth of NextGen groups across the country.?quot;
Following some confusion over the intended recipient of the money, it has since been confirmed that the money, pledged at the National Conference in February this year and later matched by HAL, will be used to support the NextGen Nursery Group. HAL’s commitment to provide matched funding brings the total pledge to an impressive final sum of $4,000.
NextGen is a forum for likeminded young people to network, swap ideas and discuss current industry issues. For more information or to join your state/territory NextGen group, contact your state or territory NGI Association.
For more information or to apply for NextGen funding, contact Industry Development & Event Coordinator Kobie Keenan at NGIA on ph: 02 9876 5200 or email: kobie.keenan@ngia.com.au.
