With $300,000 in the kitty to help with the recent flood disaster in the Newcastle, Hunter and Dungog areas, the National Australia Bank is giving out cheques up to $10,000 for deserving community groups.

The recovery grants program is available to a range of not-for-profit organisations in affected areas, helping them clean-up and support communities in the aftermath of the storms.

The two local recipients were Dungog Shire Community Centre and Dungog and District Neighbourcare who were presented with their cheques on Tuesday morning by NAB executive general manager retail Melissa Reynolds.

Neighbourcare will be using their money to set up a fitness trail in Jubilee Park.

“With council and other community groups we want to bring new life to the park which was also inundated by water during the floods,” said LurlineTrustum.

“We would have such things as leg and arm presses scattered along the path which members of the community, and our clients, can use.

“It would also be available to local sporting clubs for their members to use also.”

Manager of the community centre Sarah U’Brien said the money will help the many support agencies who came to the fore during the disaster.

Store manager Sigrid Jones said 15 applications had been received so far and $100,000 allocated.

“We want not-for-profit groups to put in an application as there is still $200,000 left,” she said.