Previous Community Grants recipients

Bosom Buddies ACT Inc.
Canberra
$9,950
Empowering Young Women will establish a breast cancer support network for younger women in Canberra. The project connects young breast cancer patients with peers for emotional support, practical guidance, and a compassionate community, aiming to alleviate mental anguish and improve wellbeing.

The Tongan Association of Canberra and Queanbeyan Inc.
Belconnen
$2,000
The Round Table - Youth Voice project will establish a youth council, providing a platform for young people to voice their issues and concerns. The project will also deliver workshops to educate and raise mental health awareness for Tongan youths in the local community.

Albury Wodonga Volunteer Resource Bureau Inc.
Albury
$10,000
The Cultural Exchange Program will support residents from Albury Wodonga's multicultural community through Coffee and Cards, Conversations in English, Homework Help, and Tertiary Tips.  Supported by volunteers and based at the Albury and Lavington libraries, the project aims to enhance social connections and emotional support, improving community mental health outcomes.

Arc @ UNSW Limited
Kensington
$10,000
Tackling Student Isolation will use peer support to address loneliness and isolation among vulnerable UNSW students, including those with marginalised identities, social anxiety, depression, international students, and those living far off campus. The project will train at least 35 student volunteers to help students build mental health skills, develop support networks, and connect with local groups and activities.

Barkandji Native Title Group Aboriginal Corporation
Wilcannia
$10,000
Barkandji Native Title Group Aboriginal Corporation will send three volunteers from Wilcannia to Adelaide to undertake culturally-appropriate peer-to-peer suicide prevention training. The volunteers will then establish a fortnightly facilitated yarning circle for local Indigenous men, which will provide a valuable space for local men to strengthen their networks and seek support from one another for the issues they are facing.

Dementia Inclusive Ballina Incorporated
Ballina
$10,000
Dementia Inclusive Ballina aims to improve mental wellbeing for carers and people with younger-onset dementia through a co-created, locally-led community support group. The project will build a supportive community network through social activities for young people as well as support meetings, awareness-raising events and a local conference for carers and their families.

Drummoyne Community Centre Inc.
Drummoyne
$10,000
Building Connections and Community for Seniors through Lego Serious Play will address social isolation and loneliness among seniors in Canada Bay through creative and engaging sessions. The sessions will enhance cognitive, social, and physical wellbeing, involving carers and younger community members to foster strong social bonds and a sense of community.

Gosford Regional Community Services
Wyoming
$2,000
Share a Table, Share a Story will host monthly mental health discussion groups for economically disadvantaged people in Gosford, focusing on various wellbeing topics like stress management and resilience-building. The program provides a safe space for open conversations and personal sharing, aiming to improve mental health outcomes, reduce stigma, and foster a sense of community.

Hockey Tweed Incorporated
Murwillumbah
$2,000
Hockey Tweed will host an 'Are you Okay' hockey round to raise mental health awareness following flooding in the region in recent years. The event will feature hockey games and community activities, with local athletes and leaders sharing their mental health experiences, aiming to educate on recognising mental ill health and improving access to resources.

Kogarah Community Services 
Kogarah
$10,000
Connections Across Generations is a series of weekly intergenerational events to reduce social isolation, including tea, creative play, art and wellbeing activities. The project will support and nurture new social connections, increasing wellbeing and life satisfaction of young and old.

Murdi Paaki Regional Rugby League Council Inc. 
Dubbo
$2,000
The Dulili Project will support elderly Aboriginal women in Dubbo through weekly yarning circles that offer social interaction, educational discussions, and cultural activities. These gatherings, planned with Elders, will foster a sense of ownership, community cohesion, belonging, and empowerment.

Nambucca Heads Men’s Shed Inc.
Nambucca Heads
$4,053
The Nambucca Heads Men’s Shed Morning Teas will provide a supportive space for men in the rural Nambucca Valley to connect and share. These gatherings aim to ease loneliness, foster friendships, and promote mental wellbeing through open discussions and purposeful activities.

National Centre for Childhood Grief Australia Limited
Hornsby
$8,000
The NCCG Parents Group will provide mental health and wellbeing support for 20-30 recently widowed young parents in Northern Sydney. The program will address the extreme trauma and significant stress caused by the loss of a partner, focusing on emotional and financial wellbeing, single parenting, and offering a sense of community support and understanding.

Pearl Beach Progress Association
Pearl Beach
$4,980
The Pearl Beach Lunch Club will expand to Patonga Beach, engaging isolated residents with the help of volunteers trained in Mental Health First Aid. The project offers monthly lunches and mental health presentations for participants, aiming to improve mental wellbeing and provide enjoyable events for the elderly.

Richmond Community Services Inc.
Richmond
$2,000
The Coffee, Cake and Conversation Cafe aims to enhance social cohesion and overall wellbeing in the local Richmond community by connecting people from diverse backgrounds over coffee and snacks. Led by Richmond Community Services' dedicated volunteers, the café will feature guest speakers on topics like wellbeing, mental health, and social cohesion.

Rotary Club of Leeton Inc.
Leeton
$9,900
Stories of Resilience is a series of mental health-focused panel discussions featuring people with lived experience of adversity. This initiative partners with local not-for-profits to enhance community connection and engagement with mental health support services.

Seena Inc.
Bonnyrigg
$10,000
The Mind Body Soul project will empower socially isolated women from CALD backgrounds in Cabramatta through monthly art therapy and culturally informed wellbeing workshops. The project combines therapeutic activities and educational sessions to enhance mental wellbeing, enable participants to realise their abilities, and build meaningful connections.

The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW)
Toormina
$9,957
Bongil Bongil Ngiyaa Guja (“we are deadly”) aims to enhance the mental health and wellbeing of First Nations youth aged 12-18 in Toormina. Leveraging strong community relationships, First Nations Community Connectors will offer culturally appropriate programs including weaving, boomerang making, painting, traditional stories, language, and On Country excursions.

Trustee for Byron Bay Community Benefit Fund
Byron Bay
$2,000
Elder Beats: Rhythm and Dance will combat social isolation and enhance the wellbeing of older adults in Byron Shire through monthly dance and drumming sessions. These activities, followed by afternoon tea social events, aim to foster social connections, improve physical fitness, and boost mental health.

Walhallow Local Aboriginal Land Council
Walhallow
$10,000
Wellness and Connection for Walhallow aims to enhance mental health and wellbeing by fostering community connections among Aboriginal people in the Tamworth region. The project will deliver culturally appropriate wellness workshops, community gatherings, and support groups to promote mental wellbeing, reduce isolation, and strengthen community bonds.

Woodville Alliance
Villawood
$10,000
Roots & Shoots comprises of weekly intergenerational gardening groups for 40 young and old residents of Villawood. This community capacity-building project will bring together the two groups in a hands-on outdoor activity that will reduce loneliness, encourage physical and mental wellbeing, develop a place of belonging and foster a stronger sense of connectedness among local community.

Karrkad Kanjdji Trust
Maningrida
$10,000
The Karrkad Kanjdji Trust will support community-led groups to deliver three men's wellbeing forums at remote outstations in the Djelk Indigenous Protected Area, addressing themes such as mental ill-health, suicide and family conflict. The aim is to develop a collective vision, refine identity, set goals and foster open dialogue to reduce suicide rates within the communities.

Legacy Northern Territory
Ludmilla
$8,000
The Intergenerational Wellbeing Project by Legacy NT, Ludmilla Primary School, and Villy Australia will connect children from Defence families with widows and family members of fallen veterans to address social isolation. Through collaboratively planned activities each term, the project aims to enhance the mental health and wellbeing of around 50 participants.

The Scout Association of Australia Northern Territory Branch
Darwin
$2,000
The NT Scout Association will offer Youth Mental Health First Aid training to seven community leaders in Alice Springs, equipping them with the knowledge, confidence, and skills to provide mental health information and support to youth.

Douglas Shire Community Services Association
Mossman
$9,000
The She Shed offers a safe space for women to connect, share their stories, and support each other, thereby enhancing mental health and wellbeing. The She Shed Expansion project aims to broaden program offerings by introducing woodworking, leatherwork, and jewellery making, along with coffee time chats and referrals to mental health support when needed.

Multicultural Families Organisation Inc.
Southport
$2,000
The WISH project will establish a monthly support group for CALD women on the Gold Coast who are survivors of domestic and family violence. Through workshops on trauma-informed care and mindfulness, the project aims to enhance mental health and wellbeing, offering crucial support and resources for participants on their healing journey.

Mungalla Aboriginal Corporation for Business
Ingham
$10,000
The Nywaigi Women’s Gathering on Country project is a four day event uniting Nywaigi women on their traditional land to empower, heal, and foster development through cultural reconnection and community building.

North East Albert Landcare Group Inc.
Ormeau
$9,500
The Cultiver son jardin interieur (taking care of your inner garden) project aims to enhance mental health and community connection in the northern Gold Coast by creating an inclusive therapeutic gardening space. Partnering with local organisations, it will offer regular workshops to promote relaxation, mindfulness, and socialisation, thereby improving overall wellbeing and reducing isolation.

Open Hands Community Care Ltd.
Pallara
$2,000
OHCC will host weekly HugAMug connection sessions, featuring morning tea and support from trained volunteers and a social worker. These sessions aim to assist CALD, aged, disabled and economically disadvantaged community members by providing support, advocacy and digital technology access.

Proserpine Youth Club Inc.
Proserpine
$10,000
Proserpine Youth Club will offer drum beat workshops each term for 40 local youth who are socially isolated and dealing with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. These workshops aim to help participants cope with and overcome these challenges, improve their mental health, build resilience, and develop a reliable support group.

SevGen Indigenous Corporation
Noosaville
$10,000
Paddock to Plate: Creating Wellness Through Connection and Relationships provides weekly bushtucker-infused lunches for community members, focusing on mental wellness topics and exercises. The project aims to enhance mental wellbeing, foster community connections, and reconnect participants with their cultural heritage.

Tony’s Community Ltd.
South Toowoomba
$2,000
Tony’s Community Kitchen will host ten Are You OK Community Wellness BBQs. Around 150 people who are homeless, economically disadvantaged, or isolated in the Toowoomba and Darling Downs region will enjoy a BBQ meal, connect with others, and receive referrals to mental health support services.

Momentum Mental Health
Warwick
$2,000
Momentum Mental Health will host three wellbeing workshops for community members in Warwick, focusing on holistic wellbeing models “5 Ways to Wellbeing” and Te Whare Tapa Wha. The sessions will cover topics such as setting personal boundaries and navigating difficult conversations with individuals experiencing distress or poor mental wellbeing.

University of Queensland Rugby Football Club Inc.
Brisbane
$4,999
Stronger Minds: Brighter Futures will train 25 volunteers in Mental Health First Aid to support UQ Rugby players, creating a safe environment for seeking help. The project includes a mental health awareness session for 100 members and bi-monthly check-ins, aiming to increase awareness, provide timely interventions, and improve player wellbeing.

Yeronga Hyde Road Kindergarten
Yeronga
$5,904
The Yeronga community intergenerational program will connect kindergarten children with elderly residents at The Village retirement community through activities like gardening, choir, and art. These shared experiences aim to foster friendships, purpose, and learning, enhancing the mental health and wellbeing of both groups.

LBI Foundation
Port Lincoln
$10,000
The Bush Telegraph project in Port Lincoln will unite six community groups to improve the mental health and social connectedness of local children and families. The project will train 25 community members in the IMPACT program and mentor six Community Champions to create and implement local wellbeing projects, enhancing awareness and resilience.

The Hut Community Centre Inc.
Ironbank
$10,000
Spark Self Connection is an 8-week program designed to improve mental health by tackling loneliness and social isolation in midlife and older women. As part of ‘The Loneliness Project’, a community co-design project with the University of South Australia, it will pilot two sessions to develop a scalable train-the-trainer model for enhancing social wellbeing.

The Mill Incorporated
Adelaide
$9,999
The Art of Connection will be a 10-month initiative combining mental health and wellbeing workshops, community-building excursions, and peer-to-peer opportunities for artists and creatives in Adelaide. Participants will share personal wellness strategies and lived experiences to raise awareness of mental health supports available to artists.

Villagehood Australia
West Adelaide
$10,000
Singing Hearts – Mindful Singing is an 8-week mindful singing program for between mothers and their children (ages 0-5), aiming to improve maternal mental health through peer support, group singing, and mindfulness practices. It seeks to reduce postnatal depression symptoms, enhance mother-child bonding, and boost overall wellbeing.

Be Hers
Hobart
$10,000
Be Hers will launch community connection sessions aimed at enhancing mental health and wellbeing. The 12 month initiative will foster local connections, reduce isolation and loneliness, and include open cooking classes with cultural and mystery box challenges to promote teamwork and culinary skills.

Kids in the Valley
New Norfolk
$9,816
Youth in the Valley will provide a safe space for youth aged 12-18 in New Norfolk, open for two hours weekly. Facilitated activities will use strength-based practices to help participants identify their strengths, values, and leadership skills, fostering wellbeing and deeper peer connections.

Okines Community House Inc.
Dodges Ferry
$5,020
Okines Community House will offer a two-day Mental Health First Aid training course for 24 staff members, volunteers, and community members to empower the community to support individuals experiencing mental health issues.

Bannockburn Cricket Club
Bannockburn
$2,200
The Bannockburn Cricket Club will collaborate with Outside the Locker Room to implement a mental health education program for members aged 13 and over. The initiative includes workshops on mental health awareness, leadership, and resilience, aiming to educate members, promote open conversations, and enhance community wellbeing.

Bonnie Doon Community Group Inc.
Bonnie Doon
$5,500
The Brain Games Picnic will bring together vulnerable residents in the Bonnie Doon community for fortnightly outdoor fun and connection, promoting mental health and wellness. Through brain training games, mental stimulation and activities that enhance cognitive abilities and mindfulness, participants will gain mental health benefits to cope with daily stressors and build local social connections.

Budja Budja Aboriginal Cooperative
Halls Gap
$7,700
The Leenyar, Kookoon and Thookay Together Program will connect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders with young children in a culturally safe and supportive environment. By facilitating group activities, yarning, storytelling, and sharing, the project seeks to strengthen cultural connections, pass down knowledge and traditions, and support wellbeing.

Clonbinane Community Action Group
Clonbinane
$4,800
The Looking Out for Each Other project will deliver two Mental Health First Aid courses to 16 adults in the Clonbinane/Waterford Park community in rural Victoria. Participants will learn to provide initial support to adults experiencing mental health issues, recognise signs and symptoms, and understand available treatments and supports.

Drummond Street Services
Collingwood
$10,000
Collingwood Summer Sessions will support young people and families in the Collingwood public housing estate through targeted summer holiday events, including a large community event and a water park excursion for 60 young people. These activities aim to foster social cohesion, provide respite from cramped living conditions, and improve mental health outcomes by enhancing feelings of safety and wellbeing.

Drysdale Hawks Football Club
Drysdale
$3,872
Drysdale Hawks Football Club will train 22 volunteers in Youth Mental Health First Aid, empowering them to proivde immediate support and guide young people to appropriate mental health resources. The project aims to reduce reactive mental health incidents by half over the coming year.

Eaglehawk Community House Incorporated
Eaglehawk
$10,000
Connecting Our Community Through Food will offer weekly community lunches and social activities for seniors, disabled participants and vulnerable citizens. The initiative includes guest speakers and wellbeing workshops focusing on the “5 Ways to Wellbeing” with Bendigo Community Health Services.

Edenhope Apsley Football & Netball Club Inc.
Edenhope
$5,182
NOT Just a Farmer!! aims to address high suicide rates in the rural farming community through an evening celebrating farming life. Featuring a film screening, meal, and panel discussion with mental health professionals, the event aims to foster connection, support, and open conversations about mental health and suicide stigma.

Family Life
Frankston
$8,475
Family Life will offer three evidence-based Youth Mental Health First Aid workshops for a total of 45 teachers in the Bayside area, to build capability to support teenager students at a time when mental health problems such as depression and anxiety emerge. These workshops will equip teachers with the knowledge and confidence to support young people facing mental health challenges.

Free To Ltd.
Melbourne
$10,000
Free to Feed will deliver a series of six Cooking Circles; wellbeing support groups designed for people with experiences of forced displacement. Guided by a lived experience cooking instructor, newly arrived refugees will cook together with the goal of building trust, connection and a sense of place in their new community.

Good News Power Basketball Club
Tarneit
$7,675
Good News Power Basketball Club aims to enhance mental health and wellbeing through basketball in Melbourne’s Western suburbs. The project includes Mental Health First Aid training for coaches and a community information session, targeting over 150 members and residents from diverse backgrounds to provide crucial mental health information.

Goorambat Veterans Retreat Inc.
Goorambat
$10,000
Mental Health Resilience Workshops will be offered to younger veterans in and around Euroa, rural Victoria, encouraging Veterans and their families to connect and identify as a community. The goal is to enhance mental health and wellbeing through a supportive community and access to resources, leveraging shared experiences as a powerful tool.

House of Persia Community and Cultural Centre Inc.
City of Manningham
$2,000
The House of Persia Community and Cultural Centre aims to expand its community services to better support recent migrants from Iran, particularly women and the elderly. The project combines group activities such as bushwalking, gardening and meditation with culturally-appropriate care to enhance social participation, community connectivity and personal wellbeing.

Latrobe Valley Village Inc.
Newborough
$10,000
Members of Orana Senior Citizen Centre and residents of Latrobe Valley Village will improve their mental health through social activities and skill-building for staff and volunteers. Residents will participate in a Walk & Talk program in local parklands and staff and volunteers will receive Mental Health First Aid training to better support the community.

Multicultural Community Services Geelong Inc.
Geelong
$10,000
Nature Connect: Enhancing Wellbeing for Refugee Youth is a four day nature camp focusing on mental health and community connection for young people from refugee and multicultural backgrounds. Participants will engage in activities such as mountain biking and kayaking along with co-designed workshops on personal development, respectful relationships, self-confidence and connection.

Plus Sport Victoria
Footscray
$5,500
Come and play, it’s Wednesday is a community lunchtime program at Victoria University in Footscray, offering a safe space for locals facing financial and cultural stress. The project will train volunteers in Mental Health First Aid to facilitate weekly badminton and table tennis sessions, enhancing mental wellbeing and fostering community connections for refugee and migrant adults.

Preston Neighbourhood House Inc
Preston
$10,000
The NeuroConnect project will offer monthly themed workshops over six months to support neurodivergent queer youth, addressing their unique developmental needs. By focusing on creative expression, mindfulness, and social skills, the program will foster self-discovery, mental well-being, and meaningful connections for students in years 10 to 12.

St Arnaud Neighbourhood House Inc.
St Arnaud
$10,000
Intergenerational Farm Art will bring together older and younger generations to create a farming mural from recycled materials, highlighting local agriculture and the importance of farmers. Through weekly sessions over five months, the project aims to foster relationships and enhance generational connections by sharing knowledge about farming practices.

Swifts Creek Bush Nursing Centre Inc.
Swifts Creek
$2,000
Echoes of Yesteryear will reconnect up to 20 older, isolated community members in remote East Gippsland through a social support group. The project fosters connections through activities like sharing food, old photographs, recipes, and personal collections.

The Haven Day Centre Ltd.
Boronia
$2,000
The Haven Choir pilot program aims to engage community members living with mental health issues, memory loss, or dementia. The program will offer a space for participants to sing, express themselves, and build meaningful connections, enhancing their quality of life through music.

Triumph of Good Inc.
Hampton East
$3,980
Triumph of Good will offer weekly two-hour sessions to enhance the health and wellbeing of multicultural seniors in Hampton, focusing on alleviating loneliness and fostering social connections. The project will use group singing to provide joy, therapeutic benefits, and community cohesion, particularly aiding cognitive functions and memory in individuals with dementia.

Windermere Child & Family Services Inc.
Mirboo North
$10,000
Windermere Child & Family Services will establish a whittling group in Mirboo North to aid storm recovery by teaching whittling skills and encouraging artistic expression. The fortnightly sessions will help participants create meaningful items from storm debris, fostering resilience, social connections, and community cohesion.

Rotary Club of Canberra Sundowners
Canberra
$10,000
Canberra Sundowners Connecting Communities Project will provide Mental Health First Aid training for 40 club members, partnering with Community Services #1 to help connect with the Canberra community's most vulnerable and disadvantaged people.

African Sub-Sahara International Development Agency (ASSIDA)
Fairfield
$10,000
ASSIDA Youths Wellbeing Project (AYWP) will provide accidental counsellor and suicide prevention training for youth peer leaders and implement other social and wellbeing-focused support structures. This project will promote psychological safety for African-Australian young people in Fairfield and surrounds.

BREED Australia
Blacktown
$9,600
Project Building Resilience combines mental health workshops with therapeutic peer-to-peer storytelling over 20 two-hour workshops. The project intends to strengthen the mental health, wellbeing and resilience of individuals aged 16 and older in Blacktown LGA.

Dare Disability Support
Springwood
$10,000
My Mental Health: Sharing my Story is an opportunity for people with intellectual and psycho-social disabilities to come together as peers and share their stories of mental illness, whilst exploring wellness strategies that support and improve mental health. Through the sharing of unique lived experiences, this project will raise greater awareness of mental health support strategies.

Gallipoli Turkish Cultural Foundation
Auburn
$10,000
EmpowerHer: Girls and Women's Health and Wellbeing Program aims to enhance mental health and wellbeing of young girls and women in the Cumberland LGA. Through health literacy workshops, fitness classes, mental health support, and nutrition education, the project seeks to improve the overall mental wellbeing of women, particularly those from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.

GLENRAC Inc
Glen Innes
$9,702
Farmers Take A Break, Smoko with Friends is an opportunity for farmers in the Glen Innes area to interact with local peers through a series of events in partnership with regional mental health specialist organisations. These events will foster meaningful connection and highlight available mental health support services for times of hardship.

Growing Together South Coast Incorporated
Milton
$10,000
Food for Thought is an intergenerational home-grown food-sharing and wellbeing learning program for the Milton community. This project will promote strong mental health outcomes through cross-collaboration between generations in a recreational and educational environment.

Homes North
Tamworth
$10,000
Share the Journey is a series of six workshops focused on mental health and wellbeing through community-building for young Aboriginal women in Tamworth. The project will link participants with local mental health support services and create peer connection for the purpose of social support.

Iluka Community Organisation Planning for Emergencies (ICOPE) Inc
Iluka
$8,561
Balanced Connections is a health and mental wellbeing and socialisation program for those aged 65+ and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents aged 55+ in Iluka and Woombah. Through presentations on mental health alongside opportunities for socialisation and physical movement, the initiative seeks to improve mental and physical health, and reduce social isolation in the local area.

Lachlan and Western Regional Services Inc
Condobolin
$2,000
Condo's Coffee Club is a fortnightly breakfast for socially isolated people of all ages to connect over a warm meal and coffee. Staff are trained to provide non-clinical mental health support to community members who wish to access help in a casual environment.

Monaro Community Access Service Inc
Cooma
$2,000
The Koori Mens Group will provide a culturally relevant and safe space for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men to share their stories and build connections within the community, through a fortnightly yarn and pop up BBQs.

NovaCare Community Services
Newcastle
$2,000
Scone Time is a community morning tea that serves scones to seniors and their carers, companions and family. These events improve the wellbeing of elderly participants by reducing social isolation and building confidence to re-enter the community after COVID-19.

Police Citizens Youth Clubs of NSW
Goulburn
$10,000
Improving our Community's Mental Health and Wellbeing is aimed at youth in the Goulburn community who are struggling with their mental health and wellbeing. In partnership with headspace Goulburn, the PCYC NSW will hold monthly drop-in sessions with workshops on how to access assistance for mental health and wellness, self help, mindfulness, healthy eating and exercise.

Rainbow Club Australia
Wollongong
$2,000
The Rainbow Club will provide certified Mental Health First Aid training to teachers and volunteers, equipping them to support the mental health of children with a disability in the Wollongong region.

Rotary Club of Central Blue Mountains Inc
Katoomba
$10,000
Rotary Club of Central Blue Mountains will provide approximately 125 community members with Mental Health First Aid training. This initiative will give community members confidence to discuss mental health and support peers who may be struggling.

Rotary Club of Leeton Inc
Leeton
$9,700
Stories of Resilience is a series of mental health-focused panel discussions featuring people with lived experience of adversity. This initiative partners with local not-for-profits to enhance community connection and engagement with mental health support services.

Royal Flying Doctors Service
Dubbo
$10,000
The Men's Carer Program is an opportunity for carers to access support and connect in a group setting. This initiative will help to build a professional and peer support structure to aid the mental health of men living in Dubbo.

Stonewave Taiko Inc
Bega
$2,000
Taiko Chai & Chat will create a safe and fun space for older members of the Bega community to socialise, play taiko and improve their mental health and wellbeing. Taiko is a Japanese percussion instrument developed for use with dementia patients using a shared experience of music making.

The Rotary Club of Terrigal
Terrigal
$2,000
DCaf is a fortnightly meetup for people living with Dementia and their carers on the Central Coast of NSW. DCaf is a safe, non-judgemental environment where participants can share their lived experience and learn about services available, as well as participating in creative arts, music and mindfulness sessions.

The Sargood Foundation
Collaroy
$10,000
Sargood on Collaroy Community BBQ is a regular barbeque lunch for individuals who are living with spinal cord injury to eat and share lived experience with peers. This initiative seeks to provide access to social supports and peer-to-peer connection for the purpose of strengthening mental health.

Children’s Charity Network
Alice Springs
$10,000
The Young Teens Program is a mentoring program to support underrepresented young Indigenous teens in the Alice Springs region to improve resilience and mental wellbeing. The program includes a series of psycho-educational art and literary workshops to create opportunities for social connection and to build skills and knowledge for improved mental health.

Ashmore Men’s Shed Inc
Ashmore
$2,000
From the Mob to the Men's Shed is a program for Aboriginal youth to gain self respect, pride in workmanship and address mental health issues through an education program in basic woodworking. The program works with a local Elder to give participants a sense of purpose and self-worth within the community.

Disability Matters Inc.
Atherton
$9,000
EmpowerPath: Enhancing Support Worker Resilience and Safety will empower disability support workers through advanced training in Mental Health First Aid and de-escalation techniques. The project will enhance the mental health and wellbeing of support workers through improved resilience and safety in challenging situations.

headspace gympie
Gympie
$10,000
headspace Gympie will run their social inclusion groups, including Lego Masters, SHOUT and Culturally Inclusive Crafternoon for local youth. This series of programs will provide peer support for young people in Gympie and promote mental health literacy, raise awareness about headspace services and encourage young people to engage services for their mental health and wellbeing.

Integreat Queensland
South Gladstone
$2,000
Culture Cafe is a series of monthly events where socially isolated community members come together for morning tea and cultural learning. Through these events, participants will have the opportunity to develop new connections, alleviate social isolation and promote a sense of belonging.

Mungalla Aboriginal Corporation for Business
Ingham
$10,000
The Nywaigi Youth Council Mental Health and Wellbeing Cultural Camp will bring together young people to immerse themselves in culture, Country and community. This initiative will take a multifaceted approach of cultural learning and mental well-being sessions to equip Nywaigi young people with strategies to manage their mental wellbeing, and learn about their roles in community as Nywaigi young people.

REFOCUS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation
Rosemount
$10,000
Gunyah Mums & Bubs Yarn will establish a community-based and culturally-safe environment for identified mothers to engage in participatory learning to reduce the impact of perinatal mental health disorders, and create strong bonds with fellow local mothers. By prioritising cultural safety, the project seeks to foster a healthier and more connected future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.

selectability (Burdekin)
Ayr
$5,000
The Community Wellbeing Breakfast is a series of 12 events for local community members of all ages, featuring a different wellbeing service provider each time. By providing a safe space for connection and discussion, the breakfast events enable opportunities for information sharing, informal referrals and strengthening of community networks.

Silkwood Community Care Association inc
Mount Nathan
$2,000
The Connect Well program aims to connect 'Help Seekers' with 'Help Supporters', who are specially trained to provide mental health support for those enduring hardship. This peer support network will provide a safe space for conversation and enable access to mental health and wellbeing tools, resources and referrals.

SMBI Listeners Inc.
Macleay Island
$2,000
SMBI will deliver Mental Health First Aid training and psychological first aid training to members of the Southern Moreton Bay Islands community. The project will equip community members with the tools to identify people at risk of spiralling mental health and help them access services.

The Black Cockatoo Foundation
Mareeba
$10,000
The Mareeba Mental Health Community Champions is a program that seeks to build capacity of people across the Mareeba community to champion mental health literacy, with a view to increase prevention, recognition and referral to professional services. This project will work towards minimising stigma within the community, especially within diverse cultural and socio-economic groups.

Women's Power of Inspiration Inc
Woodridge
$10,000
Therapy in your own Hands is a series of workshops combining mental health information with textile arts. This program will support the mental health and wellbeing of women from refugee backgrounds in Woodridge and surrounds.

YMCA Acacia Ridge Youth Space
Acacia Ridge
$10,000
Open up the Ridge is a weekly drop-in space for youth in the Acacia Ridge area to discuss mental health. This program seeks to strengthen social connections and improve the ability of local youth to seek mental health assistance.

Lameroo Forward Inc
Lameroo
$10,000
Southern Mallee Rural Woman’s Wellbeing & Resilience Project is a series of workshops, combined with personal training, to provide an integrated science-based approach to sustaining mental health. The program will build the mental health literacy and capability of women aged over 25 in the Southern Mallee region.

Rotary Club of Murray Bridge
Murray Bridge
$10,000
The Rotary Club of Murray Bridge will run teen Mental Health First Aid training for high school students in the region. This program will upskill approximately 240 local teenagers by teaching them important skills to aid peers experiencing a mental health problem or crisis.

Streetlight Community
Noarlunga
$9,990
Summer of Wellbeing will host mental health focused-engagements for at-risk youth throughout the summer of 2024. This project intends to contribute to the wellbeing of at-risk youth in Onkaparinga and the volunteers who support them.

Tong De Association of SA Inc.
Adelaide
$10,000
Tong De Association of SA will provide culturally-responsive mental health support for Chinese community members aged 65 and older. This project will promote access to quality mental health support resources to encourage positive mental wellbeing and connection.

Be Hers
Hobart
$10,000
Be Hers Hub will provide a supportive and inclusive space for migrant, refugee and at-risk women. The Hub will be a safe haven where individuals can connect with each other, engage in activities that promote mental wellbeing such as art therapy and mindfulness as well as access resources and services tailored to their needs.

Eastcoast Regional Development Organisation Inc
Triabunna
$7,750
Chase a Rainbow, Catch a Dream is a wellness project consisting of a series of therapeutic art-based activities. This program will enable participants experiencing anxiety and depression or isolation to discover creative ways to manage individual mental health into the future.

Kentish Regional Clinic Inc.
Sheffield
$2,000
CORES Australia will deliver suicide prevention training and mental wellbeing workshops in Sheffield, Tasmania. Following the delivery of this evidence-based program, local peer facilitators will set up a network in the area to keep participants connected.

St Helens Neighbourhood House
St Helens
$2,000
Learning Locally will educate community members about mental health, mental illness and how to have a conversation of care. The project will promote social connection to reduce isolation and loneliness in the community, and empower participants to seek support for their mental health.

Access Services for Koories Ltd.
Metro Melbourne
$2,000
Arts Connect! aims to boost local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's social and emotional wellbeing through connection, culture and art. This series of art and wellbeing workshops will help Aboriginal community members feel an improved sense of wellbeing through culture, creative expression and reduced social isolation through new connections made.

African Women's and Families Network (AWAFN)
Monash
$10,000
African Women's and Families Network (AWAFN) will host culturally-appropriate workshops, discussion groups and other activities focused on mental health strengthening. This initiative will assist diverse African communities within Monash to promote mental wellbeing and social connection.

Big Little Buddies Inc.
Mooroolbark
$9,791
Younger and Older Making Music and Memories is an evidence-based intergenerational music program that unites aged-care residents, preschoolers and caregivers. This initiative will foster social connectedness, as well as positive mental and physical health for these intergenerational community cohorts.

Bonnie Doon Community Group inc
Bonnie Doon
$3,765
Comensality: Food for Thought is an intergenerational fortnightly lunch for seniors, served by local youth. This project will use food and conversation to combat mental health issues within the Bonnie Doon community.

Centre for Muslim Wellbeing
Broadmeadows
$2,000
Centre for Muslim Wellbeing will deliver culturally-responsive Mental Health First Aid training workshops to community leaders and members. The workshops will improve mental health literacy, reduce stigma and build capacity and resilience within the community.

cohealth
Collingwood
$10,000
cohealth will run their Healing Together program for individuals from countries where Female Genital Cutting is a traditional practice. This initiative will facilitate culturally-safe trauma-informed mental health awareness sessions and activities that will promote resilience, facilitate access to support services and foster connection within the larger community.

Doreen Mernda Nepalese Community
Mernda
$3,000
Promoting Health and Wellbeing: DMNC Initiatives is a four-week community program with a strong emphasis on mental health and wellbeing. By combining mental health information with yoga and meditation, participants will be provided with an opportunity to transform their mental health-promoting habits.

Family Life
Sandringham
$7,900
Family Life will upskill 45 Op Shop volunteers through their mental health and essentials workshops. This initiative will enable volunteers to better respond to the increased mental health issues within the local community.

Foundation 61
Geelong
$2,000
Inspire Ladies Community Connection is a series of group activities including art therapy, coffee connect meetings and annual retreat for local women facing hardship. The activities are designed to improve the womens' mental health, confidence and social skills.

Goulburn Valley Suicide Awareness Group Inc.
Yea
$2,000
The Goulburn Valley Suicide Awareness Group Walk and Talk is an annual volunteer-run event for those touched by suicide. The project will enable event volunteers to train in the SafeTALK module, which will prepare them to talk about mental health, ask timely and appropriate questions and provide support and resources.

Kerang & District Community Centre
Kerang
$1,950
Let's Slay Social Isolation & Loneliness is a series of drop-in socialisation sessions at cafes in the Kerang community. This initiative seeks to help people to meaningfully connect to support their mental health outcomes.

Minus18 Foundation
St Kilda
$10,000
Creating Inclusive Safe Spaces for LGBTQIA+ youth will involve a series of monthly events to support queer youth to make friends and be their authentic selves. This project will provide a safe environment for young LGBTQIA+ people to connect with others in their community, improving overall wellbeing.

Open Door Neighbourhood House
Wangaratta
$10,000
The Connecting Community Cafe is a program that provides a space for members of the Wangaratta community to congregate with like-minded local peers. This project will seek to better the mental health of community members who are isolated and vulnerable through regular targeted social interaction.

Seed Lakeside Community Garden
Sale
$2,000
Mental Health Month is a series of free activities in October 2023 at the Seed Lakeside Community Garden. Activities will support mental wellbeing, improve social connectedness and increase community knowledge of ways to support mental health.

SouthPort Community Centre
City of Port Phillip
$9,940
The Art of Connection is a series of art therapy workshops for women in the Port Phillip community who have experienced family violence. The project will provide opportunities for participants to give and receive evidence-based peer support, build friendships and increase self-confidence.

Switchboard (Victoria)
St Kilda
$10,000
Switchboard Victoria will hold monthly social and emotional wellbeing events for First Nations LGBTQIA+ community members. The Yarn Queer program will provide a safe space for queer mob to be their authentic selves, seek support from peers, and build skills for resilience and wellbeing.

Uniting (Victoria and Tasmania) Limited
Ballarat
$10,000
Uniting will work with the Ballarat Mental Health Collective to host a free community event for the community. This event will promote avenues for, and methods of, mental health support and increase community connectedness.

Wellsprings for Women
Clyde North
$10,000
Strong Minds is a program designed to enhance mental health and wellbeing for migrant and refugee women residing in the City of Greater Dandenong. This trauma-informed program will provide education for women to build coping skills and promote mental wellness and resilience.

Wonga Park Community Cottage Inc.
Wonga Park
$10,000
Love & Loss Gathering is a monthly get-together for participants to share stories of loved ones in a supportive space and connecting with others. This program aims to improve health and wellbeing by providing social connections for participants who have lost someone close to them and may be experiencing loneliness or social isolation.

Woodend RSL Sub-Branch
Woodend
$3,000
Mental Health and Wellbeing Essentials program is a series of workshops for RSL and community members to better manage their mental health and wellbeing. The workshops will focus on practical skills and strategies to support attendees healthy thinking and wellbeing.

Australian Afghan Hassanian Youth Association
Regents Park
$9,150
New Hope is a series of mental health and art workshops to promote mental health awareness among Afghan communities including immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Regent’s Park and surrounding communities. Participants will connect with others, gain knowledge, and increase their awareness of mental health and wellbeing and how to access support.

East African Community Association of Canberra
Canberra
$9,000
Men's Roundtable on Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing will connect immigrants from East African countries to discuss issues affecting them and their community. Through monthly activities such as hiking, sports and informational workshops, the project aims to strengthen community networks and raise awareness of the importance of looking after one's mental health.

Australian Emotional Wellness Association
Bathurst
$9,600
The Central West Emotional Connection Program supports vulnerable community members to acknowledge, understand, and manage strong emotions in their lives. Through facilitated group activities, the project will provide participants skills and strategies to manage their emotions and improve mental health outcomes.

Belong Blue Mountains
Blaxland
$10,000
Men's Coffee Connection will connect older men experiencing isolation. Through fortnightly catchups and participating in guided discussions with other men, the project aims to build relationships and networks promoting social connection and improved mental wellbeing.

Cana Communities
Waterloo
$8,960
The Garden Shelter is a weekly meeting of vulnerable men experiencing homelessness. Over a shared meal, trained facilitators guide participants in storytelling and art therapy to encourage relationship building and connection and provide accessible therapeutic activities for positive mental health outcomes.

Cardiff City Football Club
Cardiff
$4,500
CCFC Mental Health Support Program is a series of weekly activities for young men to come together and support each other's mental health. The activities - which include social football, a BBQ and social gathering with psychologist available - aim to destigmatise mental health and connect participants to peer support and mental health professionals.

CareSouth
Deniliquin
$6,400
CareSouth Rainbow Room is a drop-in support service for LGBTQIA+ young people in foster care and the wider community of Deniliquin. The drop groups will facilitate positive mentoring and peer relationships, aiming to connect participants with other young people in their community who share similar experiences for positive mental health outcomes.

Central West Women's Health Centre
Kelso
$2,000
Seasonal Wellness is a community garden initiative to positively engage disadvantaged local women and foster a sense of belonging and connection. In addition to gardening activities, the project will hold two workshops to provide participants key skills and strategies in looking after their mental health.

Coffs Harbour Employment Support Services
Nambucca Heads
$6,331
The Community Mental Fitness and Wellbeing Project is a series of non-clinical, strength-based educational workshops for the Nambucca Valley community. The workshops aim to strengthen participant's mental fitness and wellbeing by providing practical knowledge and strategies and reducing stigma around mental health conversations.

CTC Robertson
Robertson
$5,000
Community Connections: Talking about Mental Wellbeing is a facilitated mental wellbeing workshop to start conversations around mental health and increase awareness of support. Peer informed and co-designed, the program will be delivered incorporating the needs of participants.

Dementia Inclusive Ballina Alliance
Ballina
$2,000
The Weekly Activity Program aims to decrease loneliness of people living with dementia and their carers. Through evidence-based intervention activities, such as exercise, music and art, the project aims to share practical tools to combat anxiety and depression and improve social connectedness.

Empower Me Program
Shoalhaven
$5,000
Grab a Cuppa is a series of facilitated events for carers of children with a mental illness to connect with their peers. The project aims to equip carers with skills and strategies to support both their children and themselves, and connect carers to build a network of support.

Indian Support Center
Wentworthville
$2,000
Healthy Mind Healthy Soul is a series of four mental health workshops for migrant women in Wentworthville. The workshops will provide mental health information and will help build a peer network amongst participants to promote ongoing support and reduced stigma around mental health, improving their mental wellbeing.

Lake Macquarie Suicide Prevention Network
Speers Point
$10,000
Connected to Care Days are a series of community picnics that provide a positive social activity for the Lake Macquarie community. The events will help to rebuild connections between community members following recent natural disasters and provide information about mental wellbeing, support services and suicide prevention in a safe and supportive environment.

Mt Druitt Ethnic Communities Agency
Mount Druitt
$2,000
Yoga Connect is a series of ten yoga workshops for women from culturally and linguistically diverse communities in the Mt Druitt area. The workshops aim to improve mental wellbeing through meditation and breathing techniques and improve social connection and a sense of belonging for improved mental health.

PeerCo
Port Kembla
$9,720
Side by Side: A Recovery Group for Men is a series of peer support sessions for men experiencing mental health issues. Trained facilitators with lived experience will guide the peer sessions to help participants forge meaningful connections and empower each other in their recovery.

Rumpus Skillshare
Wollongong
$9,800
Press Play Illawarra: Creative First Aid for Essential, Healthcare and Community Workers is a series of six workshops for frontline essential workers. Utilising creative therapies including art, gardening and writing, participants will learn tools to manage their mental wellbeing and connect with others in their community.

The Groove and Wellness Society
North Narrabeen
$10,000
Groove and Wellness: Community, Mental Health and Wellbeing Program is a series of workshops combining dance and mental health education for youth in the Northern Beaches of Sydney. The workshops will help participants develop mental health awareness and practical skills as well as provide a space to create social connections.

The Happy Hens Social Enterprise
Henley
$3,524
Humans Grow at the Green is a series of workshops to reconnect the Henley community following COVID-19 restrictions. Using the 5 Ways to Wellbeing model, the five workshops will enable participants to connect socially while developing practices to maintain good mental health and wellbeing.

The Warrior Women Foundation
Sydney
$10,000
The Young Warrior Woman Program is a mentoring program to support underrepresented young women in Sydney improve resilience and mental wellbeing. The program includes a series of psycho-educational workshops to create opportunities for social connection and to build skills and knowledge for improved mental health.

Woolgoolga Seniors Centre
Woolgoolga
$2,000
Thinking Well is a mindfulness and meditation class for socially isolated carers in the Woolgoolga community. Through weekly sessions, carers will learn key strategies to improve their mental health and mental wellbeing and develop new community connections.

Red Dust Role Models
Alice Springs
$10,000
Red Dust Yarning Circles will create culturally relevant and culturally safe spaces for remote Aboriginal people to share their cultural stories, build connections with others, and listen for understanding as they explore important questions around identity, health and aspirations.

Tangentyere Aboriginal Organisation Council
Alice Springs
$10,000
Nyewente Sports: Lets go! is a project enabling participation in sports for vulnerable members of the Alice Springs community. The program embeds access to mental health resources and referral pathways via Headspace Alice Springs who are present at the sporting events, with the aim to improve connection and mental wellbeing.

African Australian Women's Association
Brisbane
$10,000
YAKE (Her) Wellbeing Project is a series of information sessions and Wellness Expo to support African Australian women in South-East Queensland improve their mental wellbeing. The project will improve participants mental health literacy and bring women together to create social connections and wellness conversations for improved mental wellbeing.

Babinda District Community Association
Babinda
$5,000
Babinda District Social and Emotional Wellbeing and Resilience is a series of workshops for socially isolated members of the community. By exploring mental health first aid and social and emotional wellbeing topics, the project will increase awareness of mental health issues and how to address them.

Beaucare
Beaudesert
$4,500
Carers Support Group is a fortnightly meet up to provide social linkage and connection for carers of people suffering dementia. The facilitated group provide advice and strategies to better manage their mental health, community linkage and peer support.

Impact Care Services
Slacks Creek
$10,000
Man Moments is a peer support program to help men navigate their mental health and mental wellbeing. Facilitated by a professional life coach, the program will   provide a safe space for participants to talk, learn, build relationships and improve their sense of belonging.

Kanyini Connections
Doonan
$10,000
Young Veterans PTSD Program is a trauma-support program for young veterans. The animal-assisted and nature-guided program provides participants skills and strategies to identify and manage their stress responses and strengthen resilience and mental wellbeing.

Mapleton Community Library
Mapleton
$2,000
RangeTalk: Creating a More Resistant You is a weekend of talks, walks and cooking workshops. The program aims to connect participants, share strategies for positive mental health and provide opportunities to engage with the community.

North Burnett Community Services
Eidsvold
$10,000
Women's' Wellness Project is a peer support group for regional women. The peer group will connect women to other women in similar situations, link to complementary services and provide one-on-one support as required resulting in improved mental health, resilience, increased social connection and improved relationships.

Proserpine Youth Club
Proserpine
$2,000
Youth Survival & Resilience Challenge is a series of outdoor activities to support vulnerable young people in Proserpine. Through activities such as equine assisted therapy, the project will participants develop self-confidence, problem solving skills, empathy and social skills to improve social connections and mental health.

South Cape York Catchments
Cooktown
$10,000
The Cook Shire Wellbeing and Mental Health Big Day Out will connect local community members to mental health resources and services. The event will build stronger connections between people, communities and services, and equip community members with simple and effective mental health tools and strategies.

Songlines Indigenous Corporation
Gold Coast
$2,000
IndigiWalks seeks to connect Indigenous participants with local Indigenous community leaders to improve the mental health and wellbeing of participants. Through cultural nature walks, the program aims to address Indigenous suicide by improving connection to Country and promoting cultural continuity.

The Migrant Centre Organisation
Labrador
$10,000
Out Of Limits: Achieving Positive Mental Health for Youth is a program providing positive mental health strategies for youth from multicultural backgrounds. Workshops have been co-designed with multicultural youth and will provide the opportunity to build connections, reduce stigma around mental health and provide information to help participants improve their mental health and wellbeing.

The Rainbow House
Arundel
$7,840
Masterful Creators is an after-school program for teenagers navigating loss and difficult life experiences. The program aims to bridge the gap for vulnerable youth in accessing mental health services, and strengthen participants’ self-awareness, resilience and connection.

African Women's Federation of SA
Salisbury
$10,000
The Sensory Garden is a community-led project to create a space for multicultural communities and people with a disability to connect and practice art and cultural activities. Led by women with a disability from African refugee backgrounds, the project will design and grow a sensory garden and create an accompanying colouring book to encourage connection, address isolation and improve their mental wellbeing.

Iwiri Aboriginal Corporation
Port Adelaide
$10,000
Our Strength is in Our Culture is a series of culturally-informed art workshops for Anangu (Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people from North-West South Australia). The workshops aim to reduce isolation and maintain and promote cultural transmission for Anangu to help improve self-esteem and promote positive mental health strategies.

CWA Nubeena Branch
Nubeena
$5,690
The Country Women's Wellness Project is a series of interactive workshops for women in the Nubeena area. The workshops will improve knowledge around mental health issues, teach techniques in coping and resilience and provide opportunities to build social connections and friendships for improved mental health and wellbeing.

Dorset Community Association
Scottsdale
$10,000
Bright Dorset Youth Connection and Wellbeing is a series of weekly wellbeing activities for young people and children in the remote Dorset area. The program aims to build connection across rural communities by building young people's capacity and opportunity to connect leading to improved mental health outcomes.

Source Community Wholefoods
Sandy Bay
$8,250
Art Therapy at Source aims to provide a relaxed, inclusive social space that facilitates creativity and discussion for the Sandy Bay community. Through weekly sessions with an art therapist, participants will create social connections, reduce stress, anxiety and depression and improve self-esteem, for improved overall mental wellbeing.

Budja Budja Aboriginal Co-operative
Halls Gap
$2,000
Time to Reconnect is a series of activities for older people living alone to reconnect with the community following COVID-19 restrictions. Through mindful activities such as Tai Chi, birdwatching, and mindfulness walks, the project aims to share skills and strategies to improve participant's connections and mental wellbeing.

Dargo Bush Nursing Centre
Dargo
$4,000
Dargo Bush Nursing Centre will hold a series Community Education Lunches for local community members. The lunches will discuss locally relevant issues and are designed to address loneliness and isolation by encouraging participation in community life.

Donald Learning Group
Donald
$9,977
Teens in the Kitchen: A Way to Connect is a weekly cooking program for teenagers to connect and create community networks. The program is facilitated by speakers covering topics on mental health, wellbeing and mindfulness, and will help young people develop mental wellbeing tools.

Drop In and Take Off
Wodonga
$10,000
Community Mental Wellbeing Skateboard Program is an eight-week skateboarding program for disengaged children and young adults in regional Wodonga. The structured program encourages young people to re-engage with their community, socialise and access wellbeing activities in a safe environment.

headspace Sunshine
Sunshine
$10,000
Let's Talk is a youth co-design project seeking to address mental health issues affecting culturally and linguistically diverse communities. The project aims to upskill the headspace Sunshine Youth Advocacy Group to design and facilitate peer workshops to explore cultural barriers and destigmatise conversations about mental health.

International Women's Group
Morwell
$9,725
Get Involved is a series of exercise classes for older, migrant women who are experiencing isolation. Through social exercise such as aqua and dance, the project aims to improve participants mental wellbeing and confidence to engage with the community.

Jarvis Creek Landcare Group
Jarvis Creek
$9,500
Muster Dogs for Better Mental Health is a mental health education project for local Jarvis Creek farmers. By combining muster dog training with mental health education, the project aims to overcome barriers of accessing mental health supports for farming communities in a familiar and low stress environment, strengthen community networks of support and provide simple skills and strategies for improved mental health.

Knox Infolink
Boronia
$7,700
Movement for Mental Health and Wellbeing is a weekly exercise class for vulnerable community members. Expanding on the success of the Boronia Community Breakfast, the project aims to further support participants through physical movement to relieve and improve mental health and wellbeing.

Long Gully Neighbourhood Centre
Long Gully
$9,000
LGNC Chatty Cafe aims to help people meaningfully connect over a cuppa. The project aims to help isolated members of the community to connect and will provide participants information to improve their mental health and mental wellbeing.

LOUD Fence
Ballarat
$10,000
LOUD Space: Wellbeing Program is a series of trauma-informed creative workshops to support victims and survivors of sexual abuse in Ballarat. The eight-month program will assist in reducing the long-term effects of trauma, build resilience and strength, and create social connections for improved mental wellbeing.

Melbourne Mens Shed
Melbourne
$6,600
Improving Men's Shed Health Literacy is a series of targeted workshops to improve participants' understanding of mental health. The project aims to decrease the stigma associated with seeking help and improve participants' understanding of when and where to access mental health services.

National Council of Jewish Women Victoria
Caulfield
$10,000
Golden Age Club Rejuvenate Mental Health Program is a fortnightly social support program for vulnerable community members. The project aims to connect participants to reduce feelings of isolation and provide skills and strategies to improve mental health and mental wellbeing.

Podium Magazine
Melbourne
$10,000
Helping Hands is a peer, youth-led mental health support program for Muslim youth living in metropolitan Melbourne. The program will connect Muslim youth with their peers for culturally appropriate conversations about mental health and aims to improve accessibility to mental health support services and reduce stigma towards mental health help-seeking behaviours.

Riddells Creek Neighbourhood House
Riddells Creek
$2,000
Drum Up Support is a four-week African drumming program to connect vulnerable community members. The project seeks to contribute to the wellbeing of the community by creating new networks, embedding connections and encourage mental wellbeing.

SalamaTea House
Sunshine
$2,000
SalamaTea Community Dinners is a series of dinners for the refugee and asylum seeker community in Sunshine. The dinners will provide a safe and welcoming environment for local community members to connect, form networks of support and access key mental health information and supports.

Seed Lakeside Community Garden
Sale
$10,000
Growing Community Wellbeing is a series of workshops and events focusing on improving social and emotional health and building resilience in the community. In partnership with local community and health organisations, the project will deliver accessible early intervention and prevention focused activities to improve participants' mental health and mental wellbeing.

State Coal Mine - Rescue Station Arts
Wonthaggi
$2,000
Renewal is an art activity program for vulnerable community members in Wonthaggi. Through creative activities, the project aims to support participants in creating community connections and peer networks of support for improved mental health outcomes.

TaskForce Community Agency
Cockatoo
$10,000
Carer Wellbeing: Restorative Activities for People Who Care is a project to build resilience in carers living in Cockatoo. The series of activities are designed to promote carer wellbeing by teaching participants coping strategies and providing access to informal supports.

Wellways
Warrnambool
$2,000
Hamilton Mental Health Art Group is an art therapy program for local community members. Facilitated by those with a lived experience of mental health, participants will learn new skills and strategies and develop connections for improved mental health outcomes.

Western African Cultural Association
Hoppers Crossing
$2,000
African Youth Connect is a series of monthly workshops that aims to create and build meaningful connections between African youth while providing practical skills to improve mental health.

Whittlesea Community House
Whittlesea
$6,950
Relax, Recharge, Reconnect is a drop-in at the Whittlesea Community house. The program aims to connect vulnerable community members and provide opportunities to become involved in local groups and activities, supporting improved connection and wellbeing.

Women's Support Network
Sunshine
$9,500
Belonging Again encourages women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to participate in a series of workshops, including yoga, dance, meditation and art therapy. The meet ups encourage participants to connect, learn self-support techniques and increase engagement with the community for positive mental health outcomes.

This Is My Brave Australia
Gungahlin
$10,000
Mental Health and Wellbeing Project is a series of events dedicated to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health. The events will provide a space to discuss mental health issues and support those isolated by mental illness to reconnect to their community.

Canterbury Bankstown Chamber of Commerce
Bankstown
$9,340
Mental Health, Leadership and Networking provides mental health and community support for small to medium business owners. The peer-support and mentoring groups will connect business owners to discuss their unique stressors as small employers and to discuss and share information on mental health and healthy leadership.

Community Northern Beaches
Manly
$10,000
Beyond the Gloves is a boxing and mentor program for teenage girls which focuses on mental wellbeing. The program will support participants to develop self-control, emotion regulation, mindfulness and empowerment through physical exercise.

Grand Pacific Health
Goulburn
$2,000
Divine Divas is a series of workshops to support young people who identify as female gain a sense of belonging and connection to others in their community. The project will provide skills and strategies for participants to understand and manage their mental health.

Home-Start National
Crookwell
$2,000
Crookwell Parent to Parent Wellbeing Mentors connects volunteer mentors with families affected by isolation and mental health challenges. The project aims to strengthen community support networks and empower people to talk about and take care of their mental health.

ID Know Yourself
Darlington
$10,000
Healing Spirits is a series of trauma informed workshops engaging youth through caring for a native bush food garden. Through cultural connections, participants will learn strategies to self-regulate and overcome their mental health challenges.

Kenya Diaspora Board
Blacktown
$2,000
Unclutter the Mind will provide psychosocial support to adult male migrants at risk of mental health issues. The project aims to improve mental health awareness through information sessions, heart-to-heart discussions and referrals to further services.

Lithgow Information and Neighbourhood Centre
Lithgow
$5,250
Well-Being Connection is a series of workshops and social gatherings for people to chat and connect over coffee. The workshops will support participants' mental health and wellbeing by reducing isolation and providing tools for residents to build resilience, connect and feel a sense of optimism.

Love Culburra Beach
Culburra Beach
$9,000
Mental Health & Connectiveness Project will bring together the Culburra Beach community to participate in personal wellbeing programs. The project will help to reduce social isolation, improve participants' mental health and support community recovery and reconnection following recent natural disasters. 

Marathon Health
Dubbo
$9,563
Well Together is a series of workshops that bridges the gap young people experience while waiting to access mental health services. The workshops aim to create opportunities for therapeutic conversations about mental health in a non-clinical environment.

Multicultural Youth Affairs Network
Blacktown
$10,000
Despite the Stereotypes is a youth-led and designed intergenerational forum to facilitate mental health discussions between young people, elders and parents of the Sydney Afro-Australian community.

Nambucca Senior Citizens Club
Nambucca Heads
$2,000
Connecting Community is a series of monthly dinners to connect residents. The project aims to decrease instances of loneliness and social isolation by facilitating connections and creating stronger community networks.

Pathways Community Counselling Clinic
Galston
$2,000
Community Counselling Programs is a series of free mental health and wellbeing workshops delivered by psychologists and counsellors for the community. The workshops will cover topics such as art therapy, mental health exercises and community building initiatives to connect the local community and provide strategies to maximise wellbeing.

PeerCo
Port Kembla
$8,400
Port in a Storm: Recovery Art Project supports women who have experienced domestic and/or family violence to connect with others for healing and recovery. The series of workshops will provide skills and strategies that encourage participants to rediscover a sense of wellbeing and gain confidence to pursue their best life.

Shoalhaven Health and Arts
Bomaderry
$6,000
Listen, Share, Learn connects older community members with trained volunteers to share personal stories and experiences. The project aims to create informal supports and de-stigmatise talking about older people's mental health issues.

Shoalhaven Suicide Prevention & Awareness Network
Nowra
$2,000
G'day Mate BBQ is a regular event for local men to connect and build informal networks of support. The project aims to connect participants to reduce feelings of isolation, enhance coping skills and help-seeking behaviours and bolster self-esteem.

SNPHN
Chatswood
$10,000
SNPHN will develop and implement a Mental Health and Wellbeing workshop for the local community. The workshop will provide practical information on health services and provide opportunities for social connectedness and establishing informal communities of support.

St Clair and District Men's Shed
Orchard Hills
$3,000
Socialising Men In Our Community is an outreach program to connect with isolated men in the St Clair community. The project will identify men at-risk of isolation and invite them to a fortnightly BBQ to connect with their peers, have a space to meet regularly and form new social connections.

STARTTS
Fairfield
$9,460
Walk&Talk will connect older people from a refugee background through a series of monthly walking activities. The project aims to reduce the impact of mental health issues and social isolation and support participants to socialise and create new connections.

Trellis Oceania Foundation
Marrangaroo
$2,000
Healing Teens' Wounds of Trauma is a camp supporting young migrants through their transition to Australia. The camp encourages conversations about participants' experiences, and provides simple mental health principles to prepare them for future challenges.

Tweed Valley Early Childhood Intervention Services
Grafton
$10,000
Parent Supports aims to build the mental health capacity of parents of children with chronic health and disability needs. Through a series of group discussions and workshops, parents will be able connect with other families experiencing similar situations, build peer support networks and connect with community services.

Wagga Aboriginal Women's Group
Wagga Wagga
$10,000
Walangbang Mayiny (Community Strong in Wiradjuri Language) is a holistic healing program supporting Aboriginal youth. A series of cultural workshops and camps, the project will build participants' resilience and provide tools to cope with mental health concerns.

Women's and Girl's Emergency Centre
Woolloomooloo
$4,837
Trauma-Informed Community Yoga is a series of yoga classes for women experiencing adversity. The program aims to foster mental health and wellbeing by connecting individuals, creating a sense of community and teaching skills and strategies to reduce anxiety.

Mental Illness Fellowship Australia NT
Darwin
$2,000
MiPeer Community Connect is a series of social and recreational community activities for people living with mental illness. The project aims to connect participants to reduce isolation and strengthen peer support networks.

Northern Territory Cattleman's Association
Remote Northern Territory
$10,000
Pastoral Mental Health First Aid is a series of workshops for pastoralists across the Northern Territory to improve mental wellbeing for those living in remote locations. The project aims to reduce the stigma associated with mental health and increase the understanding and response to people's mental health needs on remote NT cattle stations.

Palmerston and Regional Basketball Association
Palmerston
$2,000
Levelling Up is a youth initiative that connects socially isolated youth through gaming. Created and driven by local youth, the project supports young people to make connections, develop peer support networks and access mental health resources and services in a safe and peer-led environment.

BallyCara
Bribie Island
$8,200
The De-Isolation Station will invite isolated older people to experience "isolation-busting" programs to decrease feelings of isolation. The program will support participants to develop mental health and wellbeing skills and connect with local services.

Beaudesert RSL
Beaudesert
$2,000
Wellbeing Connection is a luncheon commemorating Beaudesert RSL's members’ reunion and Long Tan day. The luncheon provides participants the opportunity to socialise and connect as a preventative measure against anxiety and depression.

Encircle
Kallangur
$7,700
Connecting CALD Communities is a series of workshops and activities designed to improve mental health and wellbeing. Informed by the Wheel of Wellbeing methodology, the program will decrease social isolation and support participants to develop mutual coping mechanisms and social networks and build individual and community wellbeing.

Horse Whispering Youth Program
Tallebudgera
$10,000
Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing will use equine-assisted learning to improve the mental health and wellbeing of at-risk women. By engaging with horses, participants will build important components of resilience within themselves: competence, confidence, connection, coping and control.

Kirrawe Indigenous Corporation
Logan/Gold Coast
$10,000
Return to Country: Connect, Respect, Protect is an Indigenous cultural camp to increase participants' social and emotional wellbeing and assist them in finding productive life pathways. The project aims to increase participants' sense of self, and promote good mental health through spiritual and cultural connections.

Macintyre Ag Alliance
Goondiwindi
$4,350
Art + Mental Health at Nungwai will bring the community together for a mosaic making workshop to talk, share stories and listen to experts in rural and regional mental health. The project aims to shine a light on the importance of looking after your mental health.

Men's Shed Maryborough
Maryborough
$2,000
Hope Arts and Crafts Studios is an art therapy program for people who are experiencing mental health challenges. The project aims to support participants to express who they are and what they are feeling to bring healing and purpose to their lives.

My Space
Cairns
$2,000
Wellness Wednesdays is a series of mental health and wellness programs for young adults with a disability. The project aims to provide tools to support participants’ emotional wellbeing, and develop positive community connections.

Parkinson’s Queensland
Noosaville
$2,000
Parkinson’s Sunshine is a boxing program for people with Parkinson’s disease and their carers. The boxing classes provide opportunities for participants to connect for improved physical and mental health outcomes.

The Range Community Gym and Fitness Centre
Mapleton
$2,000
Mental Health for Older Adults is a community forum raising awareness of the benefits of mindfulness for ageing adults, and will provide participants practical tools to maintain their mental wellbeing.

Winton Neighbourhood Centre
Winton
$10,000
Winton Mental Health Week 2021 will shine a spotlight on mental health for the community of Winton. The program will support community members to speak about their mental health and start a conversation within the community.

Careship Coorong
Coonalpyn
$9,500
HeART4Carers is a weekly coffee program for carers of people with dementia. The program will support carers to learn new coping strategies through relaxing activities and connect with others to build new friendships and support networks.

Feast Adelaide Queer Arts and Cultural Festival
Adelaide
$4,940
Come Out is a drop in group for LGBTIQ+ youth to build confidence and enhance mental wellbeing through community connections. Through sessions focusing on art and craft, film and storytelling, the sessions will support participants to explore their identities in a safe space.

Kura Yerlo
Pennington
$9,800
Community Tucker Bush is a community led project that connects Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to plan and create a native garden trail. The project aims to improve mental health outcomes decrease social isolation through the sharing of cultural knowledge.

Talk Out Loud
Ridgehaven
$7,000
Managing Mental Health with Meditation and Mindfulness will connect isolated community members to provide strategies to manage feels of anxiety and depression. The project aims to improve participants’ beliefs about themselves and promote self-care.

Migrant Resource Centre
Launceston
$10,000
Refugee Therapeutic Yoga is a series of weekly specialist yoga sessions for women who have experienced trauma. The project aims to reduce participants' stress, depression symptoms and isolation and improve their wellbeing.

New Mornings Ministries
Central Coast
$2,000
The Lounge is a café-style space that provides support for women who have been discharged from mental health hospital, teaching coping strategies and providing opportunities for connection and acceptance. 

The Link
Hobart
$3,960
Dungeons and Dragons and Diversity (D&D&D) will connect LGBTIQ+ youth to improve their mental health and wellbeing and promote positive self-expression. Through the role playing game Dungeons and Dragons, LGBTIQ+ youth will connect with their peers, develop a hobby as a wellbeing strategy, and reduce isolation.

West Moonah Community Action Group
Glenorchy Municipality
$9,935
Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing Project is a series of preventative workshops and activities that support participants' mental health. The project will bring together local disadvantaged and at-risk youth to learn new skills, build confidence and create meaningful connections with their peers.

4TK Australia
Ringwood
$10,000
Wellbeing & Mindfulness is a series of yoga and meditation courses for at-risk young people. The program will introduce young people to the benefits of practicing yoga and meditation, provide participants with strategies and techniques to mitigate stress and anxiety and promote wellbeing and healthy habits for at-risk youth.

Australian African Association
North Melbourne
$9,700
New Hope is a series of workshops for members of the Melbourne African community about what positive mental health looks like, and how it can be maintained. Participants will learn mental health and wellbeing skills and strategies and connect with local services.

Brophy Family & Youth Services
Warrnambool
$10,000
STOKED Surf Therapy supports at-risk youth to learn coping strategies for mental health and experience the therapeutic benefits of the ocean, activity and connection to nature.

Caroline Chisholm Society
Essendon
$10,000
The Friendship Program will connect mothers with volunteer mentors to support their mental health. The project aims to connect mothers to a community of peers who understand, empathize and can help them navigate the pathways into community and support networks.

CHAOS
Upper Ferntree Gully
$10,000
Living Our Best Life is a social prescribing program that connects isolated older people to community activities that support their mental health. The project will pair participants with a volunteer community connector to help find suitable community activities and support them to sustain their participation. 

Cheltenham Community Centre
Cheltenham
$10,000
CCC Chatty Cafe aims to help people meaningfully connect in a relaxed, friendly, engaging coffee space. The project aims to get people chatting to build social connections and reduce social isolation and loneliness.

EACH
Yarra Junction
$9,930
EACH will support local LGBTQIA+ young people to develop a social support group in the Yarra Ranges for all LGBTQIA+ young people. The project will increase positive mental health and wellbeing of participants by providing community connection, social support, and opportunities to affect positive change in their local communities. 

Friends of Traralgon Courthouse
Traralgon
$2,000
Tea Stories Town Stories is a series of fortnightly morning teas for seniors experiencing social isolation. The project connects participants with trained volunteers and local schools to highlight the benefits that socialisation and participation have on mental health.

Hume Men's Shed Sunbury
Sunbury
$5,100
Health Literacy Knowledge is a series of workshops to increase awareness of issues which impact both physical and mental health. The project will support participants' increased confidence and understanding of mental wellbeing.

Kirrip Aboriginal Corporation
Melton South
$4,480
Wellbeing Warrior Walkabout Program is a series of nature-based and cultural wellbeing sessions for local Aboriginal women to build experience in grounding, mindfulness, relaxation, focus and creativity.

Koonung Cottage Community House
Blackburn
$5,490
Blackburn Men’s Walk and Talk is a local walking program supporting men to develop meaningful connections with nature and each other. Trained volunteers will facilitate connections and conversations between members to decrease feelings of social isolation and loneliness.

Kyabram Community and Learning Centre
Kyabram
$10,000
Ky Future Youth Zone is a space for young people to connect with their peers and engage with the community. Through a series of workshops and activities, the project will raise awareness and promote strategies to educate and support youth to understand, address and manage their mental health and wellbeing.

Morwell Neighbourhood House & Learning Centre
Morwell
$10,000
Social Sisters will connect socially isolated women through weekly sessions over morning tea and activities. The project will strengthen relationships, build social confidence and create positive experiences for participants resulting in improved mental health and wellbeing.

Nagambie Healthcare
Nagambie
$10,000
Men’s Health Care Initiative will encourage men to come together, connect and talk. The program aims to bridge mental health issues facing rural men through a process of discovery, support and trust.

Picnic 4 Peace
Shepparton
$2,000
Picnic 4 Peace's Community Picnics provide an opportunity to make new social connections in safe welcoming spaces. The program aims to dispel loneliness, isolation and improve wellbeing by fostering community connections.

Waminda
Benalla
$2,000
Community Connections for Mental Health & Wellbeing is a wellbeing program focussed on promoting mindfulness, movement, meditation and connection to community to support participants’ mental health and social connectedness.

Watsonia Neighbourhood House
Watsonia
$10,000
Social Sundays is a program for members of the community who live alone. The project will support locals to develop new friendships, encourage personal positive thinking and strengthen the relationships between individuals and the community.

Whittlesea Community Connections
Epping
$10,000
For The Whole Community is a neighbourhood olive harvest celebration for the community to connect and create informal support networks. Through the olive harvest, the project will promote positive mental health and wellbeing including access to information, services and community pathways for continuing the journey of wellbeing beyond the planned events.

Whittlesea Womenhood Association
Whittlesea
$2,000
Women’s Tea Time is a monthly morning tea program connecting local women. The project aims to educate participants on how to look after their mental health, connect them to services and expand their social support networks. 

Williamstown Community and Education Centre
Williamstown
$7,380
Willi Walking Group and Morning Tea is a weekly walking group and morning tea for local mature aged Australian and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities. The project will support local community members to connect and foster wellbeing outcomes. 

Yarram Neighbourhood House
Yarram
$10,000
Yarram Community Garden and Meals is a monthly community meal that brings together the vulnerable and the lonely together to share a meal and have a chat. The project will create a space that encourages peer led support to address mental health, loneliness and isolation in the community.