In April, eighteen organisations were awarded a Social Justice Small Grant to help address local disadvantage and build fairer and stronger communities.
- Rainbow Roos – Inclusive and Adaptable Soccer For All
Rainbow Roos brings together children of all ages and abilities, with additional needs representing minority groups, to learn new skills and enjoy the teamwork of soccer. (NSW)
- Aspire Cairns Community Ltd – Aspire EmpowerHER
A First Nations program for women and girls to enhance employability, foster cultural identity and pride, build confidence, self-esteem and leadership skills. (QLD)
- Wilya Ajjul Janta Aboriginal Corporation – Wilya Janta Storytelling
A storytelling initiative creating culturally relevant language-based video resources to educate remote Aboriginal communities about the link between housing, health, and climate resilience. (NT)
- Big Little Buddies Inc. – Younger & Older Making Music & Memories
This intergenerational music program brings together generations in engaging music activities, tackling social isolation and building meaningful connections. (VIC)
- Plate It Forward Limited – Second Chance Kitchen
A hospitality training program in partnership with leading Australian chefs to equip young people in detention with pathways to education and employment. (NSW)
- Coolamon Community Incorporated – Birthing Strong: Coolamon Care for Aboriginal Mums and Bubs
A collaboration with Aboriginal Health Services midwives identifying mothers in need of support to receive ‘The Coolamon’, which includes baby and maternal care items, and culturally significant books and toys, to strengthen the bond between mother and baby, support overburdened health services, and help break cycles of disadvantage. (NSW)
- Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary – Nature’s Turnaround
Young offenders are provided with hands-on experience in wildlife conservation for personal growth, skills development, and empowerment to build meaningful careers, reduce the risk of reoffending, and create a brighter future. (NSW)
- Indigenous Futures Federation- Caring Through Culture: Empowering Indigenous Women Through Food and Connection
Culturally grounded cooking and nutrition workshops for Indigenous women preserving cultural heritage through food and community connection. (QLD)
- Prison Fellowship Australia – Volunteer Bus Driver and Visitor Centre Volunteer
This project will recruit and train volunteers to operate a low-cost bus service from Alice Springs to the Alice Springs Correctional Centre, as well as volunteers to staff the prison’s Visitor Centre. (NT)
- The Mallacoota Wilderness Collective Inc. – Women’s Skills Network
Skills network for isolated rural women re-entering the workforce in far East Gippsland providing training, mentoring, and confidence-building opportunities to develop microbusinesses. (VIC)
- VWCCS Inc (Victims and Witnesses of Crime Court Support) – Volunteer Cultural Awareness and Responsiveness Training
This project aims to improve support for First Nations victims and witnesses of crime when they appear in Court by enhancing the cultural awareness and responsiveness of VWCCS volunteers. (NSW)
- Australian Youth Climate Coalition – People of Colour Climate Network
The People of Colour Climate Network (POCCN) is a new, multi-racial initiative to diversify leadership within the Australian climate movement, led for and by young people of colour within AYCC. (Nationwide)
- The Water Well Project Ltd – Empowering CALD Women and Families Through Health Education
Education sessions delivered by healthcare professionals for migrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking women and children to better navigate the Australian healthcare system. (NSW, TAS, VIC)
- Refugee Advice & Casework Service – Supporting Stateless Children
Assisting children born in Australia to stateless asylum seeker parents to apply for Australian citizenship to overcome barriers including accessing education and healthcare. (NSW & VIC)
- The Sydney Retreat – Women’s Online Drug and Alcohol Rehab Project
A virtual version of a residential rehabilitation program to help make recovery more accessible, especially for women. (NSW)
- The Bega Women’s Resource Centre (WRC) – Empowering Young Mums
Enhancing life skills for young mothers to promote health and wellbeing, increase employment readiness, improve safety and emergency preparedness and build peer support networks in the Bega region. (NSW)
- Zahra Foundation Australia- EMBARK Workshop and Webinar Series
Workshop and Webinar Series to be delivered across South Australia to support women impacted by domestic and family violence to rebuild their lives through financial literacy, digital skills, and employment readiness. (SA)
- Yeddung Mura Aboriginal Corporation – Keep The Fire Burning
Recording Elder powerful oral histories for the next generation, providing them with vision, strength, and a lasting legacy. (ACT)
The Coolamon (right):
Coolamon Community Inc received a grant to provide 40 Aboriginal mums and their newborns, located in regional Northern Rivers communities, with The Coolamon package. The Coolamon provides all the essential resources a mother needs to support her and her new bub in the first months of life. The organisation partners with Aboriginal Health Services in regional and remote Australia, who provide essential pre- and post-natal supports to pregnant, birthing and postpartum women.
