Hands Across Canberra and Chief Minister’s Charitable Fund today announced that 35 local community projects will receive more than $525,000 in grant funding.

The process has highlighted however both not-for-profit organisations and businesses have adapted post-covid to ensure better and more timely outcomes for the wider community.

The latest grant round was made possible by a partnership involving the Chief Minister’s Charitable Fund, Hands Across Canberra, Aspen Medical, the Aspen Foundation and individual donors. This is the first year that Hands Across Canberra has accepted individual donor participation towards supporting community led projects.

Ms Diane Bray AM, Chair of Hands Across Canberra and the Chief Minister’s Charitable Fund, said “We are seeing an increasing interest by our donors who are seeking more opportunities to proactively engage with the entire process of understanding where the real issues are in our community while providing direct financial assistance to support in whichever way they can.

“We are seeing corporate organisations what to have a deeper impact. In 2021, longstanding corporate partnerships grow to include collaboration on grant making decisions and funding.

“Partnerships, such as the one we have with Aspen Medical and its charitable organisation, the Aspen Foundation, are critical to our success. As many of the applicant organisations are seeing an increase in demand of their services and need all the financial support available,” said Ms Bray.

Peter Gordon, CEO of Hands Across Canberra, said that this grant round has especially made the case for collaboration as we can create greater outcomes for potential projects in shorter periods of time

“A strong and connected non-profit sector benefits everyone,” Peter Gordon said. “Collaboration is needed for longer-term impact and more effective interventions that change the status quo which is why it was a key priority in this grant round.”

“This grant round is funding various collaborations, which Hands Across Canberra is excited to enable; some of which are coming together for the first time. These include partnerships between Kulturebreak and Lifeline, Roundabout Canberra and GIVIT, Little Luxton and the Gordon Community Centre, Capital Region Community Services and The Social Outcomes Lab, and between 5 regional community organisations: Communities@Work, Woden Community Services, Capital Regional Community Services and Northside Community

 

 

Service for a study into family-oriented transportation needs. Projects will provide critical assistance to community members in areas of youth services, domestic violence and mental health,” Mr. Gordon said.

Amanda Tobler, CEO of Community Services #1 which is part of the consortium carrying out a scoping study into family-oriented community transport funded partially in this grant round, said the grant round encouraged them to form partnerships amongst five organisations who were all experiencing the same issues.

Ms. Tobler said “All of us are working in the same space and recognise similar hardships for our clients like transport. We have teamed up with Communities@Work, Woden Community Services, Capital Regional Community Services and Northside Community Service as transport is a shared challenge faced by all of our clients.”

“Community transport provides a vital service to many Canberrans. Unfortunately, there continues to be people living in our community that find it difficult to access community transport. Families experiencing transport disadvantage require assistance in accessing health and community services, social groups, early childhood education and care (ECEC) and schools,” Ms. Tobler said. “This grant lifts up our efforts to improve access to services for those families.”

The grants announced today support a range of beneficiaries including people experiencing mental health issues, at-risk children and youth, people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people experiencing homelessness, and those who are otherwise economically disadvantaged. Projects include support for mental health and wellbeing, transition to employment, homelessness and education.

The full list of grants awarded is attached.  However, there is still a gap in funding for some of these organisations and further support is encouraged.  Hands Across Canberra is currently running an EOFY campaign, which allows for donors to contribute and support the organisations who run and execute community-based projects for our most vulnerable community members in our city doing it tough. Please visit Hands Across Canberra to donate.

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About Hands Across Canberra

Hands Across Canberra is an independent philanthropic community foundation, working with more than 300local community organisations. Funds for this grant round are being provided by the Chief Minister’s Charitable Fund which is delivered in partnership with Hands Across Canberra. To donate visit www.handsacrosscanberra.org.au.

Media Contact

Peter Gordon – CEO – 0417 064 767

Please see Attachment 1 for a list of highlighted collaboration grants and Attachment 2 for the full list of grantees.

Attachment 1. Highlighted Collaboration Grants

Family-oriented community transport: A Scoping Study – A collaboration between Community Services #1, Communities@Work, Woden Community Services, Capital Regional Community Services and Northside Community Service.Everyone deserves the right to be connected to their community. Accessing places, services, and activities helps us stay connected. Getting to and from places can be challenging for families experiencing disadvantage as often they are not eligible for community transport. A scoping study will report on the need and demand for family-oriented community transport and determine options for a pilot.

HerKitchen – a collaboration between Capital Region Community Services and The Social Outcomes Lab. The project involves the installation of a kitchen in the Belconnen Community Centre to facilitate the Her Kitchen Table program into the future. The program will promote financial independence, skill building and social inclusion for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse women who will use the space to create meals together, which will be sold and delivered across Canberra.

Join the Resilience – A collaboration between Kulturebreak, Lifeline and the Western Sydney University School of Education on a dance movement and resilience program offered within schools to at-risk children and youth. The program aims to positively impact their mental health and sense of belonging through social connectedness and provide mindfulness education through physical movement.

Little Luxton – Coffee for Community – This grant will support the establishment of a social enterprise cafe at the Gordon Community Centre operated in the community and for the community in the Lanyon Valley. The permanent space in Lanyon create a space for connection, providing opportunities for employment and training and donating $1 from every coffee sold to the Gordon Community Centre to support the most vulnerable in the Lanyon Valley.

Roundabout Canberra and Givit Community Collaboration Project – This project will ensure that these items can reach disadvantaged families through Roundabout Canberra and Givit’s networks of community organisations and not-for-profits. This project will ensure that an additional 400 children per year will be supported through Roundabout Canberra and Givit in the coming financial year.

 

 

 

 

Attachment 2. List of Grantees Awarded in the CMCF Grant Round, Autumn Cycle

Organisation Name	Project Name	Grant Amount	Funding Partnerships
Arthritis Foundation of the ACT inc.	Reach Out	$ 8,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Barnardos Australia	Queanbeyan Homework Club	$ 11,350	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra and Private Donor
Beacon Foundation	ACT High Impact Work Readiness Programs	25,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra and Private Donor
Canberra Community Law	Parachute Pilot: Providing a softer landing for women experiencing domestic violence	$ 29,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra and Aspen Medical
Canberra Multicultural Community Forum	Strengthening resilience for multicultural communities through skill building and Positive co mmunity activities	$ 15,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Cancer Council ACT	Smoke Free Streets	$ 10,196	The Aspen Foundation
Capital Region Community Services	A kitchen to host the ‘Her Kitchen Table’ program in Belconnen Community Centre	$ 25,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Cerebral Palsy Alliance	Communication equipment for people with disability – giving a voice to those who are unable to speak	$ 4,000	Aspen Medical
Charles Conder Primary School	Wellbeing Dog	$ 9,995	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Community Housing Canberra	Rental Readiness – Your Tenancy Passport	$ 14,200	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Community Services #1	Family-oriented Community Transport: A Scoping Study	$ 25,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
CREATE Foundation	Hearing the Voices of Canberra’s Most Vulnerable	$ 25,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Cyclabilities Inc	Safety Equipment for Program Delivery	$ 10,000	Aspen Medical
Delta Therapy Dogs	Delta Therapy Dog – Reducing Social Isolation	$ 10,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra and Private Donor
Domestic Violence Crisis Service	School Holiday Picnics	$ 8,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Fearless Women Incorporated	Fearless Women Incorporated Foundation Funding	$ 40,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra and the Aspen Foundation
Good Omen Goodeze Ltd	Extended Threads	$ 10,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
KULTURE BREAK	Join the Resilience **	$ 25,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Lions Youth Haven Inc	The Farm Skills Program for Youth at Risk – Restart	$ 20,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Little Luxton	Little Luxton – Coffee for Community	$ 10,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Mental Illness Education ACT	Safe and Sound Project – Open Access Mental Health Education	$ 15,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Multicultural Hub Canberra	myLEAP –  Multicultural Youth Leadership, Engagement and Participation Program	$ 30,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Palliative Care ACT	A Toolkit for LGBTQIA+ Palliative Patients	$ 8,000	The Aspen Foundation
Parentline ACT	Enhancing Mental Health Support for Parents and Carers	$ 5,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Print Handicapped Radio of the ACT Inc	Radio 1RPH update of facilities and promotion of community engagement	$ 10,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Queanbeyan Schools as Community Centres	The “Outdoor Classroom”, a welcoming learning	$ 10,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Raise Foundation	Raise Mentoring Program – Campbell High School	$ 15,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Reading Out of Poverty Inc	Books from Birth	$ 15,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Rotary District 9705 Vulnerable Youth Project – led by Rotary Club of Canberra	Ruby’s Place Vulnerable Youth Homelessness Project	confirmed	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Roundabout Canberra	Roundabout Canberra and Givit Community Collaboration Project	$ 10,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Sailability Canberra Yacht Club	Safety and Training Equipment	$ 3,022	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Tender Funerals Australia	Tender Funerals Canberra Community Fundraising.	confirmed	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
The Farm in Galong	The Farm in Galong Tutoring Project	$ 15,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra, Aspen Medical and Private Donor
Tjillari Justice Aboriginal Corporation	Our Way	$ 10,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Woden Community Service/Raw Potential	Youth Dental Care Service	$ 5,000	The Aspen Foundation
Womens shed canberra Inc.	Womens shed Canberra-Inspire, Create and Build	$ 10,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra
Yerrabi Yurwang Cild and Family Aboriginal Corporation	Yerrabi Yurwang Child and Family Aboriginal Corporation Mother’s Gathering **	$ 33,000	CMCF/Hands Across Canberra

** Applicant has been awarded a multi-year grant. Amount recorded is the amount allocated to year 1.