Scholarships to help local drought affected families

Rural kids who’d like to dance or learn to swim but are missing out because their families just can’t afford the lessons with the drought, will now be offered the chance.

Cobar Shire Council is partnering up with dance studios, Western Studio of Performing Arts (WSPA) and Copper City Dance Centre (CCDC), as well as Cobar Memorial Swimming Pool to offer drought scholarships to rural families whose kids might be missing out.

Council’s director of finance and community services Kym Miller said funding from the Commonwealth Government Drought Assistance package and assistance from partner organisations, Royal Flying Doctor Service and GIVIT, has enabled council to award the scholarships and to also throw a Drought Breaker community party at the Cobar Memorial Swimming Pool on March 1.

CCDC will offer two dance scholarships to rural children currently not taking dance lessons and will cover class tuition for a year, stockings and costume hire.

WSPA is yet to finalise the details of their scholarship but are considering that it could include tuition, fuel vouchers (to help get to classes), shoes or costumes, whatever their parents need help with.