Inland Rail and the cool kids of North Star

Each Tuesday, North Star Memorial Hall hosts Tharawonga (a long day care service) for just over a dozen kids ranging from two to five years.

North Star Memorial Hall Secretary, Kylie Pearlman said the hall needed an air-conditioner to keep the kids cool while playing inside and during naptime.

“During summer, it can reach up to 45 degrees in North Star, so the hall desperately needed an air-conditioner for Tharawonga long day care to pass accreditation,” Mrs Pearlman said.

“My mission is to make this gracious, spacious 80-year-old hall ready for the future of agriculture and the children here are the future of ag in our district.

“By helping to fund services like Tharawonga, Inland Rail enhances local community engagement and leaves behind more than steel tracks.”

Since 2019, our Community Sponsorships and Donations program has benefitted regional communities in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria with grants worth more than $700,000 awarded to successful applicants.

The program offers funding between $1,000 and $4,000 for individuals and organisations in regional areas along the route that contribute to local and regional prosperity, wellbeing, and sustainability.

If you have an activity, event or project that will benefit your local community and you represent a community group or organisation that is a not-for-profit or local government body, we welcome your application.

Our current round of applications runs to 31 January 2022. Visit our website or email IRCommunitySponsorships@artc.com.au for information about eligibility requirements, assessment processes, and terms and conditions of funding.

IMAGE: North Star Memorial Hall Tharawonga long day care kids enjoy the air-conditioning funded by the Inland Rail Community Sponsorships and Donations program.