By Jolene Ogle
A creative makers’ space and business community hub for working parents are just two of the economic initiatives to share in over $40,000 of council grants.
The winners of the maiden Noosa Council Economic Development Grant scheme can now get their business ideas and creative dreams underway.
Lucy Yule of The Trashy Artist Co-operative and Aimee Sherriff of the Powerhouse Collective are two of the local entrepreneurs who can now kick start their initiatives.
Over 18 months ago, Aimee had a dream to create a community hub where working parents with home-based businesses could come and work with like-minded people.
The difference is, this space would also offer on-site day-care to cater for the hundreds of working parents in the Noosa and Sunshine Coast region.
Aimee, who has spent the past 18 months creating a supportive network of over 200 working parents, said the extra financial boost meant she could finally start to make her dream a reality.
The funds will be used to fit-out an office space in Noosaville where parents can hire a desk, pop their child into the on-site care and get busy growing their business.
“It was key to me that I build community first,” she said. “Now, when I go to open within 12 weeks, I will have a community of people with me.”
Lucy also has a dream to create a network of supportive business owners, but within the Noosa artisan scene.
The funds Lucy received will be used to hold workshops for anyone wanting to learn a new skill from manual arts to glass blowing, as well as create a makers’ space where artisans can create their works and grow their business.
Lucy’s love for art lies in the upcycling of hard waste and she wants to help educate students, artisans and anyone interested in art about how to use waste creatively.
“I want to enable people. I want to take lost skills and teach them to others and people can take those skills for self-interest or to build their business,” she said.
“The Trashy Artisan Co-operative is about bringing people together through networking and to encourage small business.”
Lucy said upcycling and being environmentally conscious was also important to the group.
If you would like to find out more about The Trashy Artisan Co-operative or to keep up to date with developments, like their Facebook page.
Anyone interested in The Powerhouse community business hub can follower the Powerhouse Collective’s Facebook page. Both groups will continue to fund-raise, with the Powerhouse Collective holding a fund-raising retreat at Noosa North Shore from 18 to 19 February. More information is available on the group’s Facebook page.
