Community Grants Program

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.