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Previous recipients of the Supporting Strong Communities Grants
We are proud to partner with Sidney Myer Fund to provide the Supporting Stronger Communities grants program.
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Over 100 neighbourhood houses/centres across Australia have received up to $10,000 each for projects which tackle poverty and disadvantage in local communities.
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Here you will information about our previous recipient projects:
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Round 1, 2019
Friday Food Club – Cheltenham Community Centre VIC – $10,000
Friday Food Club is a program specifically targeting disadvantaged groups, that is, over 55s who are in social housing and at risk or experiencing social isolation; underemployed with mental health challenges; and people who are homeless. The program will engage people in these cohorts to come and cook a hot meal together and also cook a meal for people that are homeless. It will provide skills in cooking, health and nutrition, socialisation, community participation, connectedness, and thinking about others.
Somali Young Women’s Art Project – Canterbury City Community Centre NSW – $10,000
The aim of Somali Young Women’s Art Project is to improve the health, wellbeing and resilience of young women aged 13-19 from Somalia and other North African communities living in the Canterbury Bankstown area. Many of these young women arrived here as refugees or were born in Australia to parents who arrived as refugees and are struggling through their adolescent years – reconciling their traditional family cultural expectations with growing up in Sydney, leading to increased conflict at home. To engage this group and address the above issues, Canterbury City Community Centre will run a 20 week creative arts program.
Men’s Building Better Lives Program – Logan East Community Neighbourhood Association QLD – $10,000
The Men’s Building Better Lives program will address the importance of men connecting with each other and teach them strategies to improve and change the way they might act and communicate with others, including parenting skills.
Creative Enterprising Women – Wellsprings for Women VIC – $10,000
Creative Enterprising Women involves migrant and refugee women with low levels of English and educational backgrounds who seek financial security, in workshops where they build confidence and get access to income generating pathways. During the workshops the women get to document their existing skills and talents through a skills audit, explore available possibilities for generating income, develop a goal plan and learn about the pathways to micro-businesses, self employment, social enterprises, and other programs.
Moon Rabbit Mobile Bulk Foods – The Bridge Preston VIC – $10,000
To address food insecurity in Preston, The Bridge will set up a Mobile Bulk Food Co-Op. The Preston 2016 SEIFA index is 994 – high disadvantage. The three key components of food insecurity are inadequate supply, inaccessibility and inappropriate use. This project addresses all three. Vulnerable community members will buy food at a reduced price, without plastic packaging, in appropriate volumes, with cooking demonstrations and recipes. Moon Rabbit Mobile Bulk Foods, the first mobile bulk food Co-Op in Melbourne creates increased social capital and wellbeing. It will provide savings, social connectivity and healthy food for the most disadvantaged in the Darebin community.
Table of Plenty – Greenacre Area Community Centre NSW – $10,000
Table of Plenty will provide fortnightly lunches, material support and living skills to disadvantaged and vulnerable community members including recently arrived migrants and refugees, people affected by mental health and social housing tenants. The program will provide a cooked nutritious communal lunch, food parcels and skills in preparing low cost nutritious meals, and will link participants with services to reduce poverty, as food is one of the first items to be sacrificed when people experience poverty.
FREE – Financial Resilience Empowerment & Education – The Spiers Centre WA – $10,000
The FREE (Financial Resilience Empowerment and Education) program aims to enhance the engagement of Aboriginal people in activities that promote strength, resilience and wellbeing. The community partners engaged in this project have the capacity, experience and commitment to train and support identified community leaders and elders to support their communities in furthering their financial literacy and capability.
Kenley Court Neighbourhood House Client Support – Banksia Gardens Community Services VIC – $10,000
Banksia Garden Community Services manages the Kenley Court Neighbourhood House located in Meadow Heights, one of the most disadvantaged suburbs in Hume City Council on Melbourne’s northern fringe. Kenley Court delivers programs for the local community including its successful after-school Study Group primarily targeted at refugee and newly arrived migrant children and young people. A dedicated client support service will help refugees, migrants and other disadvantaged residents take the necessary steps to improve their financial and personal circumstances.
SKCC Holiday Clubs – The South Kingsville Community Centre VIC – $5,000
This project will provide a series of holiday programs for children and young adults from disadvantaged cohorts. These programs include a combination of life skills, education, arts and social inclusion. An example program involves art using recyclable materials. The participants explore the work of artists like Jane Perkins and Jason Mecier then recreate their own versions of artwork. Other program types include cooking classes and coding computer classes to aid life skills and education. The centre aims to run at least two programs every school holidays.
All Girls are Knockouts – Laverton Community Integrated Services VIC – $10,000
Laverton Community Integrated Services in partnership with the Laverton Youth Foundation and Laverton Boxing Gym will run a female youth program targeting the young CALD women who reside within the Hobsons Bay and Wyndham municipalities. The project will teach Women’s Safety and focus on empowerment, self-defence, fitness, assertiveness, social media/ sexting and online safety.
Community Outreach Officer – Park Orchards Community House & Learning Centre Inc VIC – $10,000
This project will employ a Community Outreach Officer (COO) dedicated to engaging with new clients who would access the centre’s free and low cost community programs. Specifically, the COO would target those who are disadvantaged by social isolation, age, ESL, and those who face financial barriers to participation. The COO would also establish relationships with external services, such as Job Service Agencies (JSAs), to promote and support participants enrolling in our pre-accredited training programs. They would liaise with the JSAs to develop courses that meet the needs of the unemployed, and give them the skills required for meaningful employment.
Seeds for Change – Ottoway Takes Action on Climate Change – Junction Community Centre Inc SA – $10,000
Ottoway has the capacity to show how neighbourhoods can affordably green and cool our streets and gardens, foster friendships and create habitat for local flora and fauna. The Seeds for Change initiative invites neighbours to a series of free spring and summer propagation workshops where they share skills and nurture native, drought tolerant species to be planted throughout winter in residents’ front gardens and verges. This place-making activity shows how local action can transform lives and communities. It is hands on and lends itself to intergenerational and intercultural involvement that honours Indigenous culture.
Strengthening Women Program – Yangebup Family Centre Inc WA – $8,465
This program will deliver eight workshops to support women who are disadvantaged to develop self-esteem, self-care, resilience and employment skills. Following the conclusion of the workshops we will hold individual meetings with participants to identify strengths and opportunities to volunteer or gain work experience in the community.
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Round 2, 2019
MAKING-Things-Possible Women’s project – William Langford Community House WA – $10,000
Working with local and in particular migrant women to develop their textile and making skills to create products able to be sold at community markets. This project will explore opportunities for collaboration with other women and makers through exposure to different textile processes and small business practices via a program of interactive active learning workshops. Through the Making-Things-Possible Women’s project a local community working space will be developed where women can come together to make, create and use tools and equipment in a shared skill building environment, whilst building networks, collaborating on projects and having access to skilled makers.
Fast Foodies – Gagebrook Community Centre TAS – $10,000
The Fast Foodies project provides life enhancing opportunities for disadvantaged people through farm to table experiences that incorporate all aspects of food literacy and numeracy.
The Mount Gravatt Community Farm – Mount Gravatt Community Centre QLD – $10,000
Providing food relief to people when they are going through financial hardship in the Brisbane South statistical area. To respond to the increasing demand for food relief and the importance of providing fresh nutritional food to service recipients, Mount Gravatt Community Centre are partnering with the Mini farm Project to establish an urban mini farm in the Mount Gravatt area. The mini-farm will be a volunteer-run project that will provide garden produce to go towards the centre’s food relief service. In addition to feeding those most vulnerable, the farm would create horticulture and food preparation training opportunities to help people find employment.
Strong Connection Program – Ku ring gai Neighbourhood Centre NSW – $10,000
This program will provide a safe inclusive supportive space for women from all walks of life and cultures to learn and connect through sharing stories, experiences and knowledge. To facilitate opportunities that nurture creativity, wellbeing and skills through engaging activities at the Women’s Shed Hornsby Ku ring gai.
Supporting Chinese carers through a child’s critical early years – Kogarah Community Services NSW – $7,700
St George has 7 per cent of the population aged 0 to 5 years and 35 per cent residents come from a Chinese background. Language barriers of the carers (parents and grandparents) of children imply disadvantages to children’s access to education, health and support necessary for their development. Facilitated by a Chinese qualified educator, this group aims to foster carers’ understanding of, access to and referrals for government and community information and resources necessary for supporting children’s development.
Room to Connect – Glen Park Community Centre VIC – $5,389
This project is to create and resource a dual purpose room to offer a dignified suitable space for a free community meal during the day to some of the most disengaged, vulnerable and isolated community members. The feedback has been that the current food and material aid and free after hours community meal has meant that some community members are missing out. This project will ensure that a day time community meal is provided so those who need the connection and referral to support services via Glen Park can also access that during the day.
Albion Food Justice – Growing, Cooking, Sharing – Kororoit Creek Neighbourhood House VIC – $10,000
This project is supporting the local community to address a key area of disadvantage through increasing food security. Providing opportunities for community to regularly access fresh and nutritious food, cook and share meals together, grow their own vegetables in the community garden and work together on developing responses to their concerns around access to food. They will use the existing relationship with Foodbank Victoria and the West Welcome Wagon to support project delivery, prioritising the involvement of the most economically and structurally disadvantaged members of our community.
Resilient Refugee Youth – Farnham Street Neighbourhood Learning Centre VIC – $10,000
The Resilient Refugee Youth Project will target youth across the Moonee Valley and Melbourne municipalities. The program will support young people between the ages of 15 and 25 from cultural groups including Somalis, Sudanese, Ethiopian, Burmese, Eritrean, Afghan and Iranian. This initiative will engage newly arrived young people early in their settlement by providing Mentors who will be responsive to their individual needs and provide guidance and support to achieve their personal, educational goals and aspirations. The Mentors will also help them realise their full potential, enabling them to meaningfully participate in their community, preventing social and economic isolation and disengagement.
Soup In Schools – Hastings Community House VIC – $10,000
The program is volunteer run and sources reclaimed food weekly to cook and distribute as a hot lunch program to three local Primary Schools. The program commenced in 2016 with two schools and expanded to three schools in April 2019. The plan with this grant is to continue to expand and grow the program in 2020 by adding two additional local Primary School’s who have sought assistance with a hot lunch for their students.
Adaptive Pottery and Crafts at the Arts Hub Thornbury – The Bridge Thornbury VIC – $10,000
A series of inclusive art classes including pottery, painting & collage for individuals with high-needs and disabilities. There is a high demand for accessible and supported arts and ceramics classes that encourage individual expression, capacity building and social connection. The courses will be facilitated by qualified teachers and support workers to ensure participants receive the attention they need. Through this grant, the three 8-week programs will be subsidised decreasing the financial barrier for participants. Carers will be given an opportunity for some time for themselves during these classes with free computer access, relaxation & afternoon tea at The Bridge Thornbury.
Reaching to Empower – Power Neighbourhood House VIC – $10,000
Power Neighbourhood House (PNH) will engage ‘hardly reached’ community members in Ashwood/Chadstone with complex needs (e.g. housing, family violence, social isolation, food and material aid), who for many reasons avoid or lack access to health and social connections. More people from this disadvantaged community have been ‘popping into’ the house for a chat and then to seek help. This project will provide PNH with the capacity to connect with these residents, build trust, improve social connections and, where required, provide soft referrals to connect with the local services that could create lasting and positive change to their future.
Building Sustainable Pathways and Self Sufficiency for Women – Preston Reservoir Adult Community Education (PRACE) – $10,000
In partnership with Good Samaritan Inn – Family Violence Services (GSI), PRACE will develop and deliver tailored training for women who wish to be employed in GSI’s social enterprise: a cleaning service. The project aims to engage women who have experienced family violence and come from areas that experience socio-economic disadvantage. The project will provide specific training and preparation for employment to these women, and in so doing empower them to re-enter the workforce and generate a sustainable income through employment, which will increase their self-esteem and future life prospects in the aftermath of trauma.
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Round 3, 2020
Bright Sparks High School Learning Club - Coffs Harbour Neighbourhood Centre - $10,000
This project is to expand the Bright Sparks Learning Club program to cater for high school students. They seek to provide flexible learning zones where the student can access their school homework portal, work alone on a project or participate in small flexible groups with a volunteer tutor. The project will provide two extra laptops and Wi-Fi access, professional support to develop extra curriculum resources and more specialist tutors. They seek to build their engagement with the families by initiating a facilitated drop-in group for parents that will include guest speakers and information sessions.
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Confidence in the Kitchen - Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre - $9,760
This project is to deliver a community-based cooking skills program. This is primarily aimed at increasing cooking skills and confidence and the promotion of eating a more nutritious diet including packing lunch boxes. This will be delivered to community members who are already engaged in their family intervention services and open to referrals from other community agencies and self-referrals. The program will include how to shop on a budget, how to read nutrition labels and the importance of eating together and dinner table conversations.
Community Digital Hub - Lockyer Community Centre - $10,000
This is a responsive and inclusive project meeting an identified community need where people of all ages, backgrounds / abilities can access free individual digital / technical support. Aiming to bridge the digital divide, they will encourage learning and support people with a range of challenges to overcome technical fears and increase knowledge / skills. This project will also increase social connections, improve employment opportunities and help people to survive and thrive in a fast moving digital world. They will deliver individual support sessions/ scheduled group sessions covering a range of subjects to suit the needs of the community.
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The Lullaby Project Australia - Miitu Palti - Hackham West Community Centre - $10,000
Originating in New York, the Lullaby Project sees pregnant women and new mothers and fathers facing disadvantage, collaborate with professional artists, as they write and sing personal lullabies for their babies. Supporting maternal health and strengthening the bond between parent and child, the project now reaches parents in healthcare settings, homeless shelters, high schools, foster care, and correctional facilities across the world. Following a highly successful pilot project, this newly developed model will engage and support the community's most disadvantaged parents/ carers of young babies to help support them through the significant challenges of early parenthood in an empowering creative setting.
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Community Pantry - Mount Barker Community Centre - $10,000
Mount Barker Community Centre works in collaboration with other community groups to ensure people in their community have access to basic fresh food support. They will build on a successful pilot program that has run for the last 12 months to provide a more structured and beneficial program to support their local community. They will achieve this by continuing the partnerships and developing the community pantry service as a way of providing more fresh food support in a coordinated manner to those that need it.
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Midway’s Community Sustainability Challenge - Midway Road Community House Inc. - $10,000
Midway Road Community House will be working with the local disadvantaged community providing practical activities and interactive discussions, one on one support and guidance, inspiring and preparing people for the next step on their sustainable journey to reduce anxiety and address issues around food security. A series of workshops will focus on building basic skills that will support local community to overcome some of the barriers to accessing fresh fruit and vegetables by growing their own and sharing with the community. They will also promote healthy eating to children & families in a community setting by providing resources and hands on learning opportunities.
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Drop in - The New Generation - Bellarine Training and Community Hub - $10,000
This application will commence a Grade 6 mentoring program that forms part of the current Drop in Program for young people residing on the Bellarine Peninsula. They will employ a qualified youth worker to maintain ratio's within the group. The extension to the program will encourage Grade 6 (12 years) to participate in the current Drop in youth program that will be commencing its 21st year of operation. The program extension will include mentoring to younger participants by older participants, especially young people who suffer from low confidence, low self esteem, bullying issues, body image issues and family problems.
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Threading Stories - Kensington Neighbourhood House - $10,000
Threading Stories is a creative, social support program for disadvantaged seniors living in Kensington Public Housing to create connections and peer-to-peer support through art, craft, sewing and wellbeing activities. These will be inclusive experiences to inspire a sense of belonging and community within a supportive space for people from diverse cultures and backgrounds to learn, connect and reduce social isolation. Threading Stories aims to empower participants, build social networks, facilitate wellbeing and to enable skill building and expressions of creativity. The aim is to create a safe space for personal stories to be actively promoted and exchanged.
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Scan to read - Diamond Valley Learning Centre - $4,000
The application is to enable Diamond Valley Learning Centre to purchase 1 set of 10 classroom scanning pens for their VCAL classes. This will give students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities access to written material. They will also be used in for the AMEP/ adult writing and spelling classes.
Round 4, 2020
Wood Worker Women - Mount Isa Family Support Service & Neighbourhood Centre Inc - $9,760
The project will target Indigenous women who are disengaged from employment to enhance their skills and confidence levels and teach them how to build recycled timber furniture. Utilising the existing facilities, this project will teach participants to use pallets and other used timber to make items such as storage boxes and chests, shelves, tables and seating. Participants will get to keep one item that they make and the remaining items will be given to the local community to people experiencing homelessness, family violence or living on low incomes.
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Food for Life - feeding a changing community - North East Community Assistance Project Inc. - $7,000
The project will target Indigenous women who are disengaged from employment to enhance their skills and confidence levels and teach them how to build recycled timber furniture. Utilising the existing facilities, this project will teach participants to use pallets and other used timber to make items such as storage boxes and chests, shelves, tables and seating. Participants will get to keep one item that they make and the remaining items will be given to the local community to people experiencing homelessness, family violence or living on low incomes.
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Mystery Meals to Go - Anglican Community Care Inc (Mount Gambier Community Centre) - $10,000
Poverty and disadvantage have become more prevalent in the local community especially with the impact of COVID-19. This project will utilise food sourced through the existing partnership with Secondbite supplemented with essential food purchases to make meal packages that will be distributed to community members. This project will also incorporate recipe cards and cooking sessions for community members to empower them to prepare their own healthy meals.
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Bayside Social Prescription Pilot - Highett Neighbourhood Community House - $10,000
Social Prescribing is an emerging approach to improving public health and wellbeing. It involves partnering with local medical professionals who identify patients whose physical and psychological health and well-being is being affected by non-medical factors such as loneliness and social isolation. These patients are referred to a ‘Community Connector’ who co-designs a ‘health and well-being treatment plan’ to connect them to suitable local community activities and services. This pilot project will provide an evidence-based model for social prescribing that reflects the community needs and is sustainable for future expansion and will fund the position of the Community Connector.
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Working together to build stronger families - Chirnside Park Community Hub - $10,000
In line with the Chirnside Community Hub core focus of supporting local families and helping bring about positive changes to community, this project plans a partnership between Chirnside Community Hub with local schools and community organisations to provide parents/carers experiencing poverty/disadvantage access to a range of support workshops. This project will also provide opportunities for community members to engage and connect with others in a relaxed, inclusive setting creating a support network within the local community.
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Neighbourhood Food Parcels - Brunswick Neighbourhood House - $9,998.74
This project targets the intrinsic link between poverty and food security and will meet increased demand for food relief resulting from COVID-19. Brunswick Neighbourhood House, in partnership with Open Table, will provide a weekly fresh food parcel that includes a mixture of fresh ingredients provided by Open Table, bread provided by the Salvation Army and purchased staples from funding through the Supporting Stronger Communities grant.
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Eat well - live well - Coonara Community House Inc - $10,000
The project will engage women over 65, and primarily over 75, who live alone and on a low income to co-design a series of social activities and events focused on eating well and fresh on a budget. Participants will be assisted to run these events for their peers and other groups experiencing the same issues. This project will increase the well-being of people in the community and will then continue to be offered by the group with the assistance of staff and volunteers at Coonara House into the future.
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War on Waste Warriors Freestore - Thomastown Neighbourhood House Inc and Lalor Living and Learning Centre - $4,140
This project will establish a War on Waste Freestore in Thomastown and Lalor. Goods will be donated and then at the monthly event, the goods will be displayed and chosen by community members to be re-homed. This impact of this initiative will be measured as all goods that are rehomed will be weighed to record how many kilograms are saved from landfill each month through the event.
Sprouts Nursery Project - Rainbow Coast Neighbourhood Centre - $9,960
This project is designed as a one year pilot project to build on the current RCNC Community Garden by providing horticulture training and production nursery experience to disadvantaged members within the local community with a particular focus on migrants, Indigenous community members and people with disabilities including mental health issues. A significant side benefit of this project will be to reduce social isolation and to develop life skills in a supportive vocational training environment. This project will also support participants from migrant backgrounds to continue to grow, celebrate and develop markets for culturally relevant foods.
Round 5, 2020
The Settlement Children's Vacation Care Program - Additional Access Project - The Settlement Neighbourhood Centre - $10,000
This project seeks to increase the capacity of the free Children’s School Holiday Program. There has been an increased need from local families as a result of COVID-19 and due to a temporary closure for renovations of the local schools OOSH program over Summer holidays. This grant will support them to provide access to inclusion and participation for more children and families from the local community who are experiencing disadvantage and additional challenges by providing additional staff in our School Holiday Program.
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Sustainable Redcliffe - Equipping for Resilience - Redcliffe Neighbourhood Centre - $8,100
Emerging through the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a strong drive from the Redcliffe community to learn and engage with local solutions to regional, national and global problems. The 'Sustainable Redcliffe - Equipping for Resilience' project will centre around monthly workshops designed to inspire, generate dialogue and create meaningful local-led change. By focussing on practical education, members of the community will be empowered with the tools required to meet various challenges such as household food insecurity, poor nutrition outcomes and responsible stewardship of place.
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Strengthening Neighbourly Connections - Benarrawa Community Development Association - $10,000
This project will connect and link government managed social housing residents to each other and to their neighbours, including local businesses and community groups through a series of place based social and skill/knowledge sharing activities. This project will strengthen social connections between neighbours and enhance the exchange of skills, knowledge and resources, particularly between those neighbours, businesses and groups who are well resourced and those residents experiencing marginalisation.
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Domestic Violence Prevention in a Community Development Framework - Deception Bay Neighbourhood Centre - $10,000
This project aims to gain more understanding of attitudes and perceptions of domestic violence in the Deception Bay community and develop a preventative response strategy. Deception Bay Neighbourhood Centre (DBNC) works from a Community Development framework that underpins the grassroots work to be undertaken that is a bottom up approach with a philosophy of community capacity building to support local solutions for local issues. DBNC will seek to engage in capacity building processes that will lead to sustainable solutions to social issues.
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Community Food Forest - Murray Bridge Community Centre Inc.- $10,000
The provision of a Community Food Forest will provide disadvantaged members of the Murray Mallee region access to a local, fresh sustainable food source. The Food Forest will also provide an ideal space for community pride and social connection. A kitchen cook-up will be offered once a month in the form of a cooked take-away meal to feed the disadvantaged in our community. Emergency food hampers will also be created and kept on site for those most in need.
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Connecting and Thriving Post COVID19 - Morella Community Centre Inc - $10,000
Using the theme of Activating Garden Spaces, this project aims to:
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Connect socially isolated community members to the centre and other people
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Build knowledge about how to use their own garden spaces to save money, eat healthy, be more active and for families to have activities that can be undertaken with children.
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Assist in connecting attendees to other services/programs available in community that meet their unique needs.
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Encourage cross cultural sharing and learning
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Connecting Diverse Communities in Online Spaces - Living & Learning Pakenham Inc - $10,000
A multifaceted project to provide skills to disengaged young people and enhance the wellbeing of diverse communities by producing accessible, informative, relevant and entertaining educational material using contemporary tools and methods. Young people will be trained in all aspects of creation, production and delivery of audio/visual content that will be broadcast using online technology (internet radio, podcast, video sharing). A particular emphasis is on diverse communities, and audience members throughout our community and beyond, will be able to access information in their own language. The project aims to reduce isolation and enhance overall knowledge and wellbeing in our community.
Saving the West - one meal at a time - Wyndham Park Community Centre - $10,000
‘Saving the West- one meal at a time’, is a food assistance initiative born out of the impacts of Covid-19 and a way to address the growing needs of those experiencing food insecurity in the City of Wyndham. This project is a collaboration between Wyndham Park Community Centre, Let’s Feed and United Sikh’s Association. This project will employ a staff member to coordinate the program, oversee the daily operations and deliver meals and food boxes to vulnerable residents ensuring a holistic approach to community participation and health and wellbeing.
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Community Wellbeing through Social Prescribing in Hobsons Bay - Community Wellbeing through Social Prescribing in Hobsons Bay - $10,000
This project will establish a social prescribing program based in Altona to service the residents of Hobsons Bay. The program will address social isolation, loneliness, and other social determinants of health to support participants to achieve improvements in their general health and wellbeing.
Round 6, 2021
Empowering Young Women - Well I Am - The Place: Charlestown Community Centre - $9,994
Charlestown Community Centre will be providing an emotional wellbeing and education program to vulnerable young women from age 10 to 16 years old. This project aims to remove the financial burden of providing this vital service for all young women, removing the barrier for families facing financial hardship or poverty who could not afford the cost of good health and wellbeing program over their family’s immediate primary needs. The project is aimed at increasing confidence, resilience, and positive self-worth in disadvantaged young women to decrease the risks of poor mental, social, and physical outcomes in their futures.
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The Change Room Project- Creating opportunities for Change for people with Disabilities - Picabeen Community Association - $10,000
The Change Room Project coordinator will focus on creating opportunities for change for people with disabilities through providing meaningful work experience and volunteering roles in the centres Op Shop and/or Neighbourhood Centre. The project coordinator will provide the necessary support to people with disabilities to empower their progress and to help reduce stigma and to increase their participation in the community.
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Little Community Playgroup Stafford - The Community Place - $10,000
The Community Place will start a new facilitated community playgroup in their community centre located in Stafford inside a fully fenced Council playground. The group would meet one morning per week and be hosted by a paid facilitator. We would also like to renovate the old toy shed and replace with new cupboards and vinyl flooring and also update some toys. The focus of the new group would be on encouraging play and interaction with children and parents with an emphasis on creating relationships and connections with families.
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Community Information Hub Upgrade - Reedbeds Community Centre Inc T/A Fulham Community Centre - $8,700
They will upgrade the current uninviting, dysfunctional, unhygienic space used to welcome at risk community members into the Community Centre to one which promotes a comfortable, safe place for vulnerability and support.
A new versatile space will be provided where community members experiencing disadvantage can:
• Learn about different programs, workshops, events, support groups in the area
• Foster social skills such as making coffee and a light snack to share
• Feel supported and respected
• Easily obtain the solutions they seek to take positive steps to a brighter future.
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Community Garden Upgrade - Karadi Aboriginal Corporation - $10,000
The Covid pandemic in 2020 raised many concerns around poverty and food security in local families and to address this, they are upgrading their existing community garden, developing it into a larger garden space. The Community garden will increase access to fresh better-quality foods, help reduce food expenses, and improve food security for those who most need it.
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Threads of Kindness - Kew Neighbourhood Learning Centre - $9,250
The Threads of Kindness is a community project to make Bedcovers for the victims of domestic violence. It is a practical project as bedding is a basic need for the women and children. The Threads of Kindness will have another layer of warmth for the women as the bedcovers are made from donated fabrics sewn by local people.
Family Violence Peer Education Program - Dallas Neighbourhood House - $10,000
This project will recruit 10 women from various cultural backgrounds to undergo family violence awareness training delivered by Northern Legal Community Centre (NCLC). On completion of the training the women will work with a film maker to write and feature in a short video. The video will contain key messages in English and other community languages (with English subtitles) on family violence prevention and disclosure. The video will be officially launched, uploaded to YouTube and distributed through networks, including Hume City Council to be viewed by a wider audience.
Homegrown - Community Garden/Food Forest - Milligan Community Learning and Resource Centre - $10,000
The co-design and implementation of Homegrown, an inclusive community garden and food forest space, will provide Milligan’s local community with access to knowledge, fresh produce and community connection. Homegrown is not just a community garden project; it’s a project designed to teach new skills, encourage collaboration and connectedness and increase community wellbeing. Homegrown will see the outside spaces of the Milligan Community Centre developed by a contractor, alongside the community, into welcoming, productive, edible gardens to nurture the community for years to come.
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Community Bread Freezer - Willagee Community Centre - $1990.90
There is a need in the local community for food distribution in the form of food parcels and free bread. The Willagee Community Centre is well known for the support services it offers and provides a safe place for people to Drop in and request food parcels or bread. The Community Bread freezer will support the community centre to continue to meet this immediate and long term need. By making the freezer more publicly accessible it will offer service users the opportunity to collect the free bread with more discretion.
Round 7, 2021
Multi-Purpose Community Hub: Marlin Coast Neighbourhood Centre - $10,000
The grant will contribute to the fit-out of a multi-purpose Multi-Cultural HUB annexed to the MCNC where people experiencing difficulties & barriers including financial hardship, educational/employment barriers, Domestic and Family Violence, homelessness, mental health challenges &/or AOD abuse can access private, confidential services in a discreet, safe and supportive environment. The multi-purpose space will be available for a range of purposes including quiet "time out", access to confidential support services and vocational training programs.
Café Training and Experience: Community Plus Queensland Inc Yeronga Community Centre - $10,000
The project will provide coordination, training and work experience for community members in Barista Training and Café Service. This project will provide an opportunity for upskilling and give real life training and work experience for members in their local community.
Food Security: Eaglehawk Community House Incorporated - $10,000
Having learned that 'rescue food' is better placed in their registered kitchen and turned into meals ASAP as much does not last beyond a day or two. Our packaged meals contain a meat dish, vegetables, rice or similar to provide a complete, balanced healthy meal.
This funding will employ an experienced staff member to coordinate a Food Relief/Assistance program. This will improve kitchen/pantry management/compliance providing increased food security and availability to their vulnerable and disadvantaged community members to better meet rising demands. An element will be to coordinate the use of rescued food in their registered kitchen to turn into packaged meals. The coordinator will also guide volunteers to pre-assemble pantry hampers with fresh fruit and vegetables.
Fawkner Primary Student After School Homework Program: Fawkner Neighbourhood House (under auspise North West Neighbourhood House Network Inc - $10,000
This project will be to initiate an after school homework program for local primary school aged children. The after school homework program would take place at the Fawkner Neighbourhood House on a weekly basis to support learning for children predominately from migrant backgrounds who require learning support to keep up at school.
80 Up Club: Mount Street Neighbourhood House - $4,500
This project aims to continue to bring together people in their 80's and 90's for weekly 80 Up Club sessions which include fun activities run by a qualified facilitator and a team of volunteer helpers. With this funding, they will expand to include the elderly people from the local Indian and Sri Lankan communities who do not have an opportunity for social connection with people their own age and are consequently disadvantaged by being socially isolated.
RezzaNuDu: Reservoir Neighbourhood House - $10,000
The project will provide a free mobile hair/beauty salon offering haircuts and styles to people experiencing disadvantage; whether that be through unemployment, mental health issues, family violence and compounded by Covid. This project will help build self-worth and connection through beauty and personal care.
Wellness Vibes Program for Women - Wendouree Womens Community Choir: Wendouree Neighbourhood Centre - $10,000
This funding will establish a women's choir for the women of Wendouree and surrounding suburbs. The Wendouree Neighbourhood Centre (WNC) will invite women of all ages and abilities to join in a new choir. The focus of the choir will be on participation, empowerment, social connection. The choir will be the catalyst to create more opportunities for women to participate in education, health and wellbeing initiatives and social activities provided by WNC and other community stakeholders. The choir will visit local aged care homes to perform and will offer sing alongs at the community lunches at WNC.
FICE Yarra Junction: Yarra Junction Community Hub - $10,000
This project seeks to replicate Cire's First Impressions Clothing Exchange (FICE) at their Yarra Junction Community Hub to assist disadvantaged/long term-unemployed people who identify as female in the Upper Yarra/adjacent areas. FICE aims to give these women access to affordable clothing suitable for job interviews/work/other important occasions, work experience in a retail setting and equally important, a soft gateway to local training/employment pathways, support services/programs/mentoring, referrals to external agencies where needed. FICE empowers women and fosters meaningful community engagement.
Bites and Bytes for Better Futures: Sudbury Community House Association - $10,000
The Bites and Bytes for Better Futures (BBBF) project will empower vulnerable and disconnected adults to better manage their daily and future lives by addressing poverty, inequity and disadvantage through hunger prevention and bridging the digital divide. BBBF will provide a weekly service whereby individuals in need access food supplies and tailored nutrition education. BBBF also incorporates a weekly information technology component to increase digital competence amongst older and migrant adults to enable them to use IT, mobile phone and internet services to connect with other people and other essential support services.
Round 8, 2021
Homework help and youth club: Logan East Community Neighbourhood Association - $10,000 (QLD)
This project focuses on three main concepts, academic assistance through a homework help program, building friendships and a sense of belonging and providing back to school packs to vulnerable families. This will be achieved through an after school homework help and youth hub where young people aged 12-17 years can access technology and tutoring, afternoon tea, board games and activities. They will also provide 100 back packs containing school supplies to identified at risk and vulnerable families to help them access quality education and raise attendance at school.
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Hambledon House food relief program: Hambledon House Community Centre - $7486.36 (QLD)
To meet an overwhelming demand for emergency food relief in the disadvantaged region of Cairns South, a food relief program was established in October 2020, operating from Hambledon House Community Centre (HHCC). To meet the increase in demand and improve the health and wellbeing of the Cairns South community, this funding will enable Hambledon House to purchase donation bins, two fridges and a freezer to keep the food safe and ensure nothing is wasted.
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'Connecting The Dots': The Junction Community Centre Inc. - $10,000 (SA)
The local area are Junction Community Centre is very diverse and also has the biggest Aboriginal community in metro Adelaide. They have many disadvantaged & vulnerable community members who despite all being locals/neighbours do not connect because their 'circles' don't overlap. With this funding, they will offer day trips to local places of worship plus to different regional areas of significance to the Aboriginal community - to bring locals of all backgrounds together to learn about the various cultures & religions that co-exist in our neighbourhood - in an effort to unite the community to increase strength, capacity and understanding whilst decreasing racism and stereotyping.
Future Building - Women in Business Training: Pooraka Farm Community Centre - $10,000 (SA)
This project will provide a series of workshops for women from disadvantaged backgrounds by taking the skills they have in their everyday lives and turning them into a money earning business and navigate the tax system. They will also get the opportunity to create a local market to sell the products, network with others and research opportunities for online sales and for products.
Emergency FoodHub Project: Laverton Community Centre - $10,00 (VIC)
The focus of the Emergency FoodHub project is to access produce from local suppliers and businesses which will be used to produce culturally appropriate, nutritious meals that can be distributed via Emergency Food Relief programs. Laverton Community Centre will participate and act as distribution for their community and fellow Neighbourhood houses and participating Community Centres. This project will enable them to address immediate food crisis whilst also supporting sustainable food security for Hobsons Bay and their respective emergency relief programs.
Supported Women Support Families: Brentwood Park Neighbourhood House - $10,000 (VIC)
Funding for “Supported Women Support Families” will enable the Brentwood Park Neighbourhood House to respond to local women's requests to provide opportunities for them to engage with the community and provide more affordable, more accessible, local learning, educational and employment pathway opportunities by using funding to purchase laptops for pre employment classes and training.
Children's Play Room: Wellsprings for Women - $10,000 (VIC)
Wellsprings for Women received funding to support the creation of a Children's Play Room in the backyard of the property. This will enable mothers to bring their pre-school children with them to focus on their studies while attending classes as the children will be looked after by volunteer child minders in a dedicated playroom. This will support all women especially those from migrant and refugee backgrounds who do not have other options for child minding and cannot afford child care service so they are currently unable to attend classes.
Community meal to Reduce Isolation, Support Inclusion for all Seniors: Yarrunga Community Centre - $6,361 (VIC)
CRISIS is a community meal and activity program to support low income seniors who have been impacted by Covid19, to connect with other seniors from the Maroondah community, including migrants and refugees. Covid forced many seniors into isolation with the lasting impact of them not reengaging with community activities. This project seeks to build confidence and reduce the impacts of isolation including the affect on mental health of senior community members. They will achieve this by providing free/low cost activities that shares the preparation and eating of healthy nutritious meals. They will provide activities that promote well-being and offer opportunities to build relationships with other seniors in the community.
Art Connect: Social Art Therapy for Autistic Children and Their Families: Joondalup Family Centre Inc - $10,000 (WA)
Art Connect is a unique group Art Therapy program that enables autistic children to develop their creative skills in a supported, inclusive environment. The program is facilitated by an Art Therapist and encourages whole-family participation, strengthening bonds between family members and opening new pathways for communication and connection. The program focuses on enhancing positive autistic identity, freeing participants from limiting, neuro-normative standards and breaking down social barriers, which may exclude and isolate them in neurotypical contexts. Individualised support is given for multiple levels of functionality and the program is delivered at a low-cost, decreasing financial barriers for participants.
Round 9, 2022
Greater Western Sydney Rental Assistance Program: Hills Community Aid and Information Service Inc - $10,000 (NSW)
This project will assist 15-20 households in Greater Western Sydney with one-off financial assistance, in the form of rental and bond payments to their rental agency/landlord, of up to $600 to help them remain in their home if they encounter temporary financial hardship that risks causing homelessness. Additionally, Hills Community Aid offers value-added services to this project in terms of providing a holistic review of each household's financial circumstances to help clients achieve financial sustainability for the long term. This includes budgeting, supported referrals, financial literacy support and information.
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PIP - Peer Intelligence Project, Peer leadership to support Disaster Resilience: Caloundra Community Centre - $9,535 (QLD)
This project will share peer lead disaster resilience information and knowledge to vulnerable people in the Greater Caloundra area. The vulnerable people for this project will be people who are homeless or intermittingly living in homelessness. The peer lead cohort will be drawn from local people who identify as being currently or historically homeless.
DFV Assist: Redland Community Centre Inc. - $10,000 (QLD)
DFV Assist has been developed on the identified unmet needs of those with lived experience and their identified gaps within current services in Redlands and will measure the real picture of DFV in the community. DFV Assist aims to provide an early intervention focus by building participants capacity, wellbeing and resilience. Case management and holistic supports will be provided to people experiencing DFV and wellness measures will be captured at entry and exit, along with a range of DFV specific metrics to enable benchmarking for DFV in Redlands.
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Meal Prep Mondays: Elizabeth Rise Community Centre - $7,926 (SA)
Our project is called Meal Prep Mondays and the focus is to be able to provide a space where a family member can prepare and cook a range of delicious, cost effective and nutritious meals in bulk to be able to take home to their families for the week. By utilising the meal packs from the Healthy Food Co which provide a meal for a family of 4 under $11, we can encourage the participants to continue shopping there as well as referring and promoting to friends and family which will in turn create new habits for more people.
Bridgewater Mental Health Improvement Plan: Jordan River Service - Bridgewater Community Centre - $5,350 (TAS)
This project will build the capacity of, reduce barriers to participation and empower the people of Bridgewater with knowledge to reduce and prevent incidence and incidents of Mental Health through the set-up of two separate but connected events in the Bridgewater area. This will decrease the sense of shame or guilt associated with their own, friends, or family’s mental health while also building supportive connections and networks. The 2 events are a presentation to community members from SpeakUP Stay ChatTY on mental health and suicide followed by the opportunity to attend a 2-day Mental Health First Aid training course.
More Than A Free Lunch: Warrane Mornington Neighbourhood Centre - $10,000 (TAS)
This project includes 10 monthly cooking sessions for 20 participants led by the Project Coordinator with Volunteer support to prepare and cook meals with participants completing a Safe Food Handling Course first. They will offer a Connections Community Lunch after each session where participants and guests will enjoy a meal and connect with guests from community organisations, Local and State Government and service agencies. There will be 20 food relief parcels provided on the day containing the ingredients and recipe card from the meal prepared and shared during the workshop. Lucky Door Prizes of a cooking kit will also be offered at each workshop.
Community Connections: Banksia Gardens Community Services - $10,000 (VIC)
Access to computers and the internet is now essential to everyday life from completing education and training courses to paying bills, making appointments and applying for services. Increasingly we are directed to do these everyday actions online. This excludes disadvantaged members of our Broadmeadows community who can't afford technology and don't know how to use it making it impossible to study, retrain, find a job, or connect with essential services. Banksia will refurbish donated computers and make them available for people in their community who can't afford one and offer assistance with setting up and using computers and the internet.
Operation: Bounce Back: Bellarine Living and Learning Centre (BLLC) - $10,000 (VIC)
With the purchase and set up of a commercial coffee machine, BLLC aims to address the need for employment of the Whittington community by providing opportunities to learn and practise skills and knowledge in the hospitality field. By working with partners there will be pathways to employment in that industry made available to participants including pop-up cafes at BLLC and coffee mornings for staff at the Whittington Primary School and the COGG Childcare and Kindergarten services. These events will provide avenues for social connection, a need the community has identified following the effects of the COVID -19 pandemic.
A Helping Hand in Clayton: Dixon House Neighbourhood Centre - $10,000 (VIC)
This project will offer drop-in sessions for adults on low income (with literacy, numeracy, digital literacy limitations) to get practical support such as understanding or paying a bill, registering for an essential government service, or searching for a program or service. This drop-in service is a springboard to offer people free in-house training in literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy run by volunteers. Some of the drop-in sessions will also incorporate guest presentations from local services.
Likeable Larrikins: Morwell Neighbourhood House & Learning Centre - $10,000 (VIC)
This project will provide a safe and inclusive space where men can connect with each other, creating conversations to help break down barriers, improve mental health & wellbeing and create positive and lasting connections. These connections can reduce loneliness, feelings of isolation and make them feel more connected to the community around them. Males are 3 to 4 times more likely to take their own life than females and less likely to seek help. This project will provide a platform where they can share their feelings and listen to each other while learning new skills, gardening, cooking and sharing a meal.
Round 10, 2022
Surry Hills Happy Humans Playgroup: Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre - $9,900 (NSW)
Based at Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre (SHNC) in the heart of the local community, this supported playgroup will provide opportunities for disadvantaged/vulnerable families with children 0-5 to connect, learn, play and develop together in a nurturing, welcoming, safe environment. Facilitated by a qualified child educator the weekly playgroup will provide opportunities for participants to acquire new health/well-being knowledge/skills and enjoy enhanced community connections including age-appropriate guided activities for children, toys and games for free play and books and storytime. A suite of professionally lead health/well-being sessions will also be provided including First Aid for children, healthy eating, creative play/learning activities and Tresillian sleep support.
Social Art: Varsity Lakes Community Resource Centre - $6,970 (QLD)
This project will engage with seniors who have taken on the role of caregivers to their grandchildren which is a growing phenomenon in their local community. This project will use Art therapy as a complement to traditional mental health treatments with the aim to manage behaviours, process feelings, reduce stress, anxiety, and increase self-esteem. They will offer a supportive, nurturing, creative outlet for grandparents in an inclusive environment which will provide an opportunity for them to socialise with others in a similar position and shared experience. They will also link with the local Indigenous Aunty to provide that connection to country.
KENG’s Fantista Barista Program: Kingston East Neighbourhood Group - $9,500 (QLD)
This project will deliver ten workshops to support individuals who are disadvantaged to gain employment skills for working in the hospitality industry, explore wellbeing, self-care, resilience and build self confidence. Participants will gain nationally accredited barista training, food safety certificate, CV, interview preparation and support into employment.
Cafe Culture South Coast: Encounter Centre Inc. - $10,000 (SA)
During this project, people who live with a disability on the Fleurieu Pensinsula will learn how to make the perfect espresso coffee and gain some practical skills in a commercial kitchen. With hospitality one of the leading industries in the region, people living with a disability will receive recognised training at no cost, positioning them well for future employment opportunities in their local community.
Diabetes Done Deliciously: Gagebrook Community House (Jordan River Service Inc) - $7,656 (TAS)
This program will provide a series of diabetes-specific combined cooking classes and info sessions for living a healthy life with diabetes. After each class, a box of the fresh ingredients that have been used and the recipe will be provided for participants to take home and cook again for themselves/family. Participants will cook and eat together in a supportive environment and learn how to manage living with Type II diabetes more effectively.
Sister Circles: Kensington Neighbourhood House - $10,000 (VIC)
Sister Circles is a project initiated by Somali-Australian women living in Kensington public housing and run by Kensington Neighbourhood House. It will involve monthly gatherings of women, facilitated by a professional counsellor and/or peer support leader. It will provide a safe, accessible space for women to have open and honest discussions about the issues they face negotiating their lives in Australia. It will provide an opportunity for women to talk about mental health concerns without judgment and develop strategies for coping. This project was conceived by local women for local women – developing strength from within.
The Prace Family Violence Response Project: PRACE - $10,000 (VIC)
Prace will implement a whole of organisation approach to Family Violence, an issue of significant prevalence in their community. Prace will appoint an Initial Assessment and Planning Worker (IAP) to develop and embed processes around addressing Family Violence, for use within Prace and for Neighbourhood Houses broadly. They will also provide immediate support and response to those disclosing family violence, including safety planning and assistance accessing crisis services. This is especially critical given language barriers often hinder help-seeking within their community. The IAP Worker will also offer support to those experiencing challenges such as homelessness, trauma, financial and other hardships.
Refugee Support Service: Bendigo Neighbourhood Hub Inc. - $10,000 (VIC)
This project is focused on providing support and resources to newly arrived and established people from refugee, migrant and asylum seeker backgrounds, a cohort of people that are regularly confronted with significant levels of disadvantage as a result of their life experiences, poverty, lack of employment, language barriers, trauma, mental health issues, health needs and their capacity to access education, financial support, housing and community services. This project will create opportunities through the delivery of individual support services that enable people to successfully settle, engage, connect and feel a sense of safety within in their new community in Australia.
Craft & Caffeine - Strengthening Communities: Quantin Binnah Community Centre - $10,000 (VIC)
Creating Villages (CV), working in partnership with Quantin Binnah Community Centre (QB) is delivering a social initiative food and beverage service complimented by craft and social activities from QB Cafe for the Wyndham community. Creating Villages offers participants with disabilities a capacity building opportunity, being exposed to a hospitality facility in a small, safe and inclusive learning environment. The project provides a focal neighbourhood meeting and drop-in place for community members and groups of all ages and abilities, promoting engagement through crafting activities and a meeting place for home schooled children.
Women’s Business- Aboriginal Grandmothers Support Group: Bridge Darebin Preston Neighbourhood House - $10,000 (VIC)
Bridge Darebin’s Indigenous engagement programs and First Nation’s grandmothers' group support the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander older women who provide daily complex care for multiple generations. This funding will go towards self-determined activities encouraging self-care and social connection, alleviating the impacts of isolation and disadvantage.
Food Connections: Yangebup Family Centre Inc - $10,000 (WA)
The Yangebup Family Centre Inc (YFC) will provide opportunities for people to access food and make social connections by developing relationships with stakeholders and empowering volunteers from their local communities. They will engage with local stakeholders, volunteers as well as link in with current support organisations, such as Foodbank. With the funding YFC will have an opportunity to source a community pantry and refresh stock, make up hampers of food and essential items for local families in need and assist in providing a light lunch on a weekly basis, prior to the Mobile Foodbank arriving.
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Round 11, 2022
The Meeting Place: Kempsey Neighbourhood Centre - $10,000 (NSW)
The aim of their project is to create a more welcoming and visually appealing exterior for community access. With this funding they plan to create a safe and accessible outdoor area for the use of clients and to provide a venue for community groups to meet allowing access to both indoor and outdoor meeting areas.
The Big Give: Mascot NSW: South Eastern Community Connect (SECC) - $10,000 (NSW)
The Big Give will be a new Community Meals program addressing rapidly increasing food insecurity and social isolation in South East Sydney. Operating out of their Mascot Hub every second Thursday night, the project will support those affected by mental ill-health, substance misuse, separation, and DFV. Young people, families and seniors face multiple risk factors, and food insecurity is the biggest challenge they face. The Big Give will enhance community cohesion and social support via meals and social support provided by trained SECC staff and volunteers.
Westside Bus Run: Westside Community Centre Inc - $10,000 (NSW)
Westside Community Centre have identified many children and youth from their community not attending school, with an increase post covid lockdowns. Initial consultation has been conducted with the families, NSW Dept of Education, community Elders and Police to identify the most effective and efficient way to commence addressing this issue. As a result, they will begin a bus run that will pick up children from their home, provide a pack lunch, school uniform and supplies as needed. Their case management support services will work with the families to continue to address the barriers preventing children from attending school and families engaging in community.
Mobile Emergency Relief Service: Bagster Road Community Centre - $10,000 (SA)
Bagster Road Community Centre will offer an accessible mobile service for provision of emergency relief, information, support and referral to people in northern Adelaide. They will have a qualified staff member and a volunteer who will travel to pre-scoped safe areas for improved access of ER, information, support and referrals, where domestic violence, homelessness, and other systemic issues are prevalent in the region and is an emerging need. With improved mobile access the partnership can build further capacity to long term financial management, decreased dependence and decreased social isolation as a result of the clients inability to access vital services.
Living with Teenagers: Goodwood Community Centre - $9,690.80 (TAS)
Empowering Parents Empowering Communities – Living with Teenagers is a group-based parenting intervention for parents with teenagers aged 11 – 16 years. The key element of the Living with Teenagers course is that it will be delivered by parents for parents within each community. By utilising this form of parenting program, they strengthen community through a local parenting support system, while mobilising local resources. Living with Teenagers is designed to improve parent confidence, skills and satisfaction, reduce adolescent and family difficulties as well as improve social and community connectedness.
Growing Our Community: Kangaroo Flat Community House - $9,903 (VIC)
Kangaroo Flat Community House are starting a community garden that create a welcoming and safe environment for people to work together. They plan to establish a garden on permaculture principles that is financially sustainable and encourage people to learn and appreciate the benefits of regional fresh, healthy and seasonal food through workshops and educational sessions. They will encourage groups to hold regular working days and ongoing projects at the garden from all cultures, economic backgrounds, ages and abilities to get involved.
Grounded Learning: Wyndham Park Community Centre - $9,397 (VIC)
In the Wyndham many educational programs are targeted towards refugees, migrants and CALD communities in the area. This is reflective of Wyndham’s highly diverse population and the disadvantage faced by people from CALD backgrounds. The purpose of this project is to introduce elements of co-design and participatory planning into the development of educational programs for families in Werribee. Through engagement and partnership this project will create a platform for families who face social, cultural and linguistic barriers to actively shape and adapt the content and structure of programs designed to make their transition into Australian life easier.
Djerriwarrh Homework Club: Djerriwarrh Neighbourhood House - $9,392 (VIC)
Djerriwarrh Neighbourhood House have been supporting a growing Homework Club managed by community leaders in the South Sudanese community in Melton. In discussions with South Sudanese community leaders and the local representative for Centre for Multicultural Youth, an emerging digital inequality has been identified which has worsened due to the pandemic. The grant funds are for a coordinator and to purchase iPads for use in the homework club. They plan to redesign the homework club to be more than literacy and numeracy skills but IT and creative skills too.
Round 12, 2023
Supporting Access, Inclusion and Connection through Food: The Settlement Neighbourhood Centre
- $10,000 (NSW)
This project will support people experiencing disadvantage, poverty and associated socio-economic barriers with access to free food and essentials through the establishment of a community pantry program at The Settlement. There will be weekly community lunches and volunteering opportunities for participants to support increased social connection and engagement in their community.
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Coffee -Chat Connect Art Program: Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre Inc - $8,500 (QLD)
With the current economic downturn and deepening housing stress, the Maroochydore area has seen local small cafes and restaurants close. This has led to significant numbers of local community members becoming unemployed, Isolated, and on the verge of homelessness within their community. In their daily work, they have experienced a measurable increase in people feeling disenfranchised and/or isolated within the community. Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre sought funding to establish a Coffee-Chat -Connect & Art program for the local community to meet, mingle and share.
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Play, Grow and Learn Garden: Paralowie R-12 Community Centre Inc - $10,000 (SA)
Paralowie R-12 Community Centre seeks funding to continue and complete their garden space, located inside a fully fenced area, adjacent to their Playgroup/crèche. The project will be facilitated by their Playgroup Coordinator and overseen by a Project Manager. They plan to purchase equipment, add more plants, include planter boxes for fruits, vegetables and herbs and create artworks. They also intend to create signage to help to identify the garden. The project will enable positive involvement with vulnerable families, create a sense of belonging and help build connections with families.
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Fabulous Form Help Program: Farnham Street Neighbourhood Learning Centre
- $8,000 (VIC)
This Project will be an addition to the current Form Help service that Farnham Street has been offering for over 6 years, run at the Flemington Library. The demand is growing at such a rapid rate that they were struggling to keep up. With this application they will run two additional Form Help sessions per week to cope with the demand. This Project would add another four hours which would be run both at Farnham Street and the new Community Hub which is located on the Flemington High Rise Estate.
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Bridging the Gap with Dignity: Living and Learning at Ajani Inc - $10,000 (VIC)
This project responds to a hugely increased demand for food and material aid in Manningham by upgrading Ajani’s current Pantry operations to include the provision of dignity items to combat poverty and disadvantage. In addition to purchasing dignity items, the project will transform our outdated paper-based data collection practices to an electronic system to enable the organisation to better respond to funding opportunities and share information with other services. Finally, the project will enable them to improve the operations of the Pantry by reducing its environmental footprint and improving the accuracy of its data collection.
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Creating a safe and connected community in Carlton: Carlton Neighbourhood Learning Centre
- $10,000 (VIC)
Residents living on the Carlton housing estate are unsafe and disconnected. CNLC will partner with this community to advocate for a safe living environment and a voice for residents to impact change. They plan to run a 6 month project to identify community needs, solutions and advocate to institutions such as DFFH and the Victorian government to improve services for Carlton. Safety is the number one concern for this community and there is currently little support or attention given to address safety issues. Residents want to turn a feeling of disempowerment into creating a safe and connected place to live.
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Markham Avenue Community Connections: Alamein Neighbourhood & Learning - $10,000 (VIC)
The Markham Avenue Community Connections Project will seek to create opportunities for the residents moving into the new Markham Avenue housing estate to make connections with others in the community, both with other residents and with local services and organisations via the delivery of a series of engagement barbecues and activities. The project also aims to use existing pre-accredited funded classes to build residents' confidence, improve communication skills and raise financial literacy levels through the delivery of two innovative programs, a drama group and a cooking club.
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Rehumanising service delivery through Neighbourhood Houses: Making a Model Framework of Fix it Friday: Whittlesea Community House Inc - $10,000 (VIC)
Building on our services outreach program – Fix it Friday - we will evaluate our program and develop, and roll out a model framework for reduction of social and service isolation leading to reduction of stress and mental health impacts and strengthening of community connections in our community and other peri-urban communities. The project also includes development of triage training for volunteers and staff at Neighbourhood Houses and a why and how to promotional video.
Round 13, 2023
Nourishment and Nutrition: The Hut Community Centre Inc - $10,000 (SA)
The Nourishment and Nutrition project will provide additional practical support to an identified community of people in the Adelaide Hills Region who are in financial hardship. Utilising resources within our Financial Wellbeing program and linking in with our existing Food Pantry program, the project will teach people simple cooking skills, nutrition, how to cook on a budget, and will provide their families and the wider community with healthy meals which can be distributed to people in crisis.
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Operation Warm: Outfits for Success: Rokeby Neighbourhood Centre Inc - $10,000 (TAS)
During the cost-of-living crises we have seen an increase in the vulnerable people requiring warm clothing, warm bedding, and basic clothing for job interview. Rokeby has a high number of low-income families and vulnerable people, and Tasmania is well known for its cold winters with temperatures below five degrees overnight and less than ten degrees during the day. This project will allow us to supply warm clothing, clothing suitable for job interviews, bedding and blankets, etc. to community members in need.
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Noongar Language After School: Vic Park Community Centre - $10,000 (WA)
This after school activity will introduce young participants and their families to the Noongar language and context through storytelling, games, song, sport, artefacts and more. Running alongside the school term, these classes will provide a free, creative and welcoming environment to learn the language of the oldest continuing living culture in the world from talented cultural custodians, primary teachers and performers - Dylan Collard (Kalyakoorl) and Dylan Shillito Stack (Ngalak Nidja).
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Watsonia After Dark: Watsonia Neighbourhood House - $10,000 (VIC)
We want to provide social inclusion activities in a safe and welcoming space in the evening as a mental health and gambling harm intervention. Social inclusion activities can reduce gambling harm by addressing the factors that contribute to problem gambling, such as social isolation, loneliness, and financial stress. By providing opportunities for social connection, individuals who are vulnerable to problem gambling can build stronger social networks and develop a sense of belonging and purpose. This can lead to improved mental health and well-being, and decreased risk of gambling harm.
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Multicultural Mums and Bubs program: Oakgrove Community Centre - $10,000 (VIC)
The Multicultural Mums and Bubs program will be run in partnership with Sikh Australian Support for Family Violence (SASFV), which will see 40 two hour sessions delivered weekly between the 9th of October 2023 and the 20th of September 2024. The program will be open to disadvantaged women and their children from all backgrounds living in or around the City of Casey.
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Healthy Cooking on a Budget: Rosewall Community Centre - $10,000 (VIC)
This program will provide dignified food relief while focusing on building nutrition literacy and cooking capacities of disadvantaged parents. Participants will receive free lessons on creating a healthy meal that they can take home, and a box of fresh ingredients to then apply learned skills in their own home.
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Gathering for Good: Jika Jika Community Centre Inc - $10,000 (VIC)
Gathering for Good recognises the profound adverse impacts that loneliness has on people in our community and addresses this through a carefully curated set of social gatherings. We will bring people together to create meaningful connection and harness the energy and passion of people to create positive change. Gathering for good will have three components - community outreach including door knocking, "Creating for good" where community members gather to make items for social benefit, and "Meals for Good", which will bring people together for community lunches celebrating and embracing annual events like international women's day, refuge week and NAIDOC week.
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Feeding bodies, minds and community spirit: Warrnambool Neighbourhood and Community Centre Inc - $10,000 (VIC)
Our project aims to address food insecurity and promote healthy eating in our community. Warrnambool Neighbourhood & Community Centre (WNCC) is in East Warrnambool and occupies a DFFH-owned community housing property in the heart of the social housing community. Conversations with community members and 3 schools revealed that there are a number of children who do not have lunch to eat at school. In partnership with the schools and building on their existing breakfast clubs, we will provide each of the schools with a variety of lunch items for students in need to ensure they have daily access to lunch.
Round 14, 2023
Bus with Us: East Devonport Neighbourhood House - $10,000 (TAS)
Bus with Us provides an opportunity for members of the community to foster connections with one another and explore destinations they may not typically have the means or inclination to visit. The excursions encompass a range of locations and details, featuring visits to thrift stores, economical nurseries, affordable lunch spots, and various other destinations chosen by the participants. By facilitating these outings, Bus with Us enables community members lacking transportation access or facing financial constraints related to petrol costs to venture beyond their immediate surroundings.
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Homegrown Community Workshops: Milligan Community Learning and Resource Centre - $10,000 (WA)
The Homegrown Community Workshops are set to comprise a series of engaging sessions designed to educate the community on the principles of healthy eating and gardening. These workshops aim to create a welcoming space for individuals to connect, fostering a sense of community and mitigating social isolation. Encouraged by the success of several pilot workshops, the Centre is now exploring the prospect of hosting these sessions regularly.
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Bright Brains Homework Club & School Holiday Program: Craig Family Centre - $10,000 (VIC)
The Craig Family Centre endeavours to establish an inclusive, stimulating, and secure learning environment for young individuals in Years 1 to 8 from migrant, refugee, and low-income families residing in or around Ashburton. This two-part project is designed to enhance academic success, promote social connections, and contribute to the overall well-being of these youth. academic assistance and social support.
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Community Hub Growth: Community Northern Beaches - $10,000 (NSW)
Community Northern Beaches are addressing social disadvantage within their community through a comprehensive community drop-in, introducing a new element: a Support Worker to enhance its effectiveness. The community drop-in serves as a central hub for individuals who have slipped through the cracks, are ineligible for other services, or find themselves on lengthy waitlists for alternative support systems, facing various social disadvantages.
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Share to Re-wear: Darley Neighbourhood House and Learning Centre - $10,000 (VIC)
The 'Share to Re-wear' program is dedicated to offering the Bacchus Marsh local community opportunities to participate in regular clothes swap events and specialized capacity-building workshops. These activities are designed to assist residents in coping with rising living expenses and to promote sustainable practices within the community.
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Nourish & Neighbour: The Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre - $10,000 (QLD)
The Urangan Community Centre, under the strategic plan of 'Creating Connected Communities' by HBNC, aims to establish and conduct a weekly lunch session every Friday. This program primarily supports older individuals in meeting new friends while enjoying a healthy and nutritious meal. HBNC will utilize a centre hall, accommodating up to 60 people, to facilitate a communal gathering for a nutritious meal, fostering new connections. Running from 10 am to 1 pm, the session will allow time for socializing, board games, entertainment, and presentations from keynote speakers.
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Empowering Minds and Building Connections: The Community Place - $10,000 (QLD)
The Northside of Brisbane's Community Place is home to a vibrant board games project. Leveraging their network, they’ve pinpointed a chance to engage with community members in collaborative efforts aimed at promoting and supporting Men's Mental Health. This program entails uniting men through a series of workshops that not only foster mental health awareness within the community but also integrate them into the board gaming activities provided by The Community Place.
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Living Smart in the Garden: Rainbow Coast Neighbourhood Centre - $10,000 (WA)
This program aims to assist vulnerable members of the Albany community in addressing challenges related to the cost of living, sustainability, and post-pandemic social isolation, while simultaneously enhancing resilience at both individual and community levels. The project will involve the implementation of various components, including community workshops, the delivery of two iterations of a 7-week Living Smart program developed by Murdoch University. This program is designed to instigate lasting behavioural changes in sustainability, well-being, individual resilience, and community capacity building.