Twice each year the City of Greater Geraldton offers community groups the opportunity to apply for grant funding to benefit their not-for-profit organisation.

One per cent of annual rates is returned to the community under the Community Grants Program and one successful recipient of the last round, Round 13, was the Geraldton Triathlon Club receiving more than $4000 for a safety upgrade project.

This enabled the club to purchase an Inshore Rescue Boat (IRB) or “rubber ducky”, and a trailer to transport the IRB along with five inflatable marker buoys for use at regular weekly races during the triathlon season.

This equipment will also be used for the annual Endure Olympic Distance Triathlons that attract competitors from across the state each year.

Geraldton Triathlon Club representative, Christine Kerr, said the purchase of this equipment would enable the club to supervise and respond to any potential emergencies during all club events.

“The equipment will provide the highest safety standards possible for the Geraldton Triathlon Club weekly race events and the Endure Olympic distance triathlon held in April each year,” she said.

“The Inflatable Rescue Boat is the fastest and most manoeuvrable piece of rescue equipment used by surf lifesavers internationally, and these are acknowledged as a key piece of safety equipment for water cover during ocean sports, such as ocean swims, surf carnivals and triathlons.”

Not only will Geraldton Triathlon Club use the equipment for weekly competition, the trailer is necessary to transport the IRB to the beach for weekly events and to other Geraldton beaches for community events.

“This will allow the club to promote its events with confidence that improved professional safety and rescue systems will be in place,” said Ms Kerr.

“The club is grateful to the City of Greater Geraldton for its assistance to enable us to run events of a high calibre with the right safety supports in place.”

Triathlon is a sport open to all, and Geraldton Triathlon Club welcomes involvement from individuals regardless of initial fitness levels, age or abilities.

The GTC conducts a Junior series each season, and in 2012/2013 had 149 juniors between the ages of 7-16-years-old participate on a regular basis. The adult membership grew in 2012/2013 to 160 triathletes competing regularly.

Round 14 of the City of Greater Geraldton Community Grants Program is now open and suitable organisations are invited to apply. Visit the City website cgg.wa.gov.au/residents/grants for an application form.

For more information on the grants program contact Renee Doughty, City Treasury Officer on 9956 6600 or to find out how to prepare a successful submission for a Community Grant, the City is holding an information night on Thursday, February 27 in the Function Room of the City’s administration office on Cathedral Ave, for more information visit: cgg.wa.gov.au/events/community-grants-information-night

Last financial year 55 community groups were awarded $339,297 through the City’s Community Grants Program.