Community Grants Program (original) (raw)

Congratulations to our 2024 Australia Post Community Grant recipients

We’ve awarded another 71 grants of up to $10,000 for projects helping to improve connection and mental wellbeing in local communities.

Community Grants awarded since 2013

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
Karrkad Kanjdji Trust will 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.

Armadale Community Family Centre Armadale
$9,950
Peaceful Kids Thrive! is a series of psychoeduational group programs that will boost mental health, wellbeing, self-regulation skills, optimistic thinking and resilience. The sessions will be held over a period of six months at the local library and provide a space for children to connect with each other, make friends, learn skills and connect with community services through participation and referral information.

Boyup Brook Community Mental Health Action Team Armadale
$10,000
The Rural Resilience Program aims to address rural women’s mental health issues in the Blackwood region by hosting three events: two Women’s Gather workshops and a Women’s Wildflower Walk, supporting over 100 participants. These locally led events will enhance mental health and wellbeing, foster meaningful community connections, and build resilience.

Dunsborough Football Club Dunsborough
$2,000
The Dunsborough Football Club’s Wellbeing Action Plan aims to benefit members, players, families, and the broader community by training wellbeing coordinators, hosting an Umpire wellbeing day, and a BBQ night. The initiative seeks to increase mental health awareness, foster conversations, and raise awareness about local mental health resources.

Investing in Our Youth Dallyup
$5,150
Investing in Our Youth will deliver a two-part project in rural Western Australia. The ‘Play Cafe for Young and Old’ aims to enhance social connections and mental wellbeing through intergenerational wellbeing activities. The ‘Storytelling in the Park’ is a place-based program focusing on children’s learning and development, including social and emotional health, through play-based activities in a natural setting.

Multicultural Services Centre of WA Morley
$9,960
Healing Stitches is a bilingual peer support program combining sewing skills with mental health awareness for migrants and refugees from various backgrounds. Through 10 fortnightly sessions, it aims to alleviate PTSD, isolation, depression, and anxiety by fostering social connections and providing a supportive environment for conversations.

Sports Challenge Australia Koongamia
$10,000
The E-PALS project will link 50 at-risk students with a 24/7 mentor for wellness and life-skills support, while an in-school program runs parallel. Over a ten month period, these two unique programs aim to improve physical and mental health, enhance connectedness with peers and community, and develop wellness and life skills, with ongoing support from a dedicated mentor.

Waves of Wellness Trigg
$10,000
Waves of Wellness will deliver two eight-week surf therapy programs in Western Australia. The programs will use surfing and the ocean as a conduit to explore, stimulate and facilitate positive mental health outcomes whilst also connecting like-minded individuals.

How our Community Grants program is helping communities just like yours

Visual: We open on a shot of a women’s clothes rack with colourful shirts.

SUPER: Introducing Family Life 2023 Community Grants Recipient.

Audio: Opening music.Visual: We see a Family Life volunteer stacking books outside an op shop. We then see a man and woman inside a Family Life store, and the woman speaks.

SUPER: Liz Thomas. Senior Manager Social Enterprise.

They are standing in between two clothing aisles that have a range of houseware and accessory items on them. There are signs hanging in the background that say, “Donate now” and “Volunteer with us”.

Audio: VO: Family Life has been operational for the past 52 years. It was started by a group of ladies who saw the need of people in distress, and this developed into our social services, and then we have social enterprise.

Visual: They are standing in between two clothing aisles that have a range of houseware and accessory items on them. There are signs hanging in the background that say, “Donate now” and “Volunteer with us”.

Visual: A volunteer continues to tidy up books outside the op shop. We see another woman browsing through a clothes rack with shirts. We then see volunteers going through a large bag of donated clothing at the back of the store.

Audio: VO: Social enterprise is the op shops.

Audio: The op shops are there for the community and we are able, with the funds to be able to run programs.

Visual: We go back to the man and woman in the op shop. The man speaks while the woman looks at him.

SUPER: James Clark. Grants & Projects Officer.

Audio: VO: It was really special for us to receive this grant, because without this, we are unable to run the training with our volunteers. So the training we're running is with St John's,

Visual: We see Family Life volunteers looking through different donations at the back of the store, and also see them chatting in the kitchen.

Audio: and it's really about uplifting our volunteers, understanding and literacy around mental health, and making sure that they can take care of themselves and those in their lives and their communities.

Visual: We see the man chatting to a customer who is browsing through books in the op shop. The volunteers continue looking through different donations.

Audio: I think it's the most incredible thing because it gives us the opportunity to be able to empower our volunteers. We have the most incredible customers coming in.

Visual: One of the volunteers is pointing and showing people donations in the back room. We then see a close up of the man and woman in the op shop speaking again.

VO: So the Mental Health Essentials Project is really driven by our wonderful volunteers. They've actually filled out a survey indicating what kind of training they were really interested in receiving.

Visual: A volunteer is browsing through a clothes’ rack with a customer. They are smiling and speaking while looking through the clothes.

Audio: And one of those was some information around mental health and improving their literacy around that. And what to do if someone isn't doing well in either their community, their family, themselves, or even any of our customers that may come through.

Visual: The volunteer continues to look through jewellery with the same customer. The customer then purchases something with her Eftpos card before walking out of the store.

VO: Our volunteers are in touch with the community on a day to day basis. You'll find in our stores there are regular customers who come in, who are well known by names and our wonderful volunteers are in a position to really make really firm connections and really shore up the community feel in our shops.

Visual: The man and woman continue to speak in the aisle. The man smiles while the woman expresses with her hands.

Audio: And it's just that wonderful feeling of being empowered to know, oh, I can say, are you feeling okay?

Visual: We see Family Life volunteers sitting at a table outside the back of the op shop. A woman drinks a cup of tea and there are biscuits and muffins on the table.

Audio: And I think that's a huge benefit for Family Life because we are totally community invested.

Visual: Australia Post logo animates on frame.
SUPER: auspost.com.au/grants”

Audio: Closing music.

Upskilling volunteers for better support

Our Community Grant enabled Family Life to offer mental health literacy training to their dedicated volunteers, which in turn helped them to better support themselves, their families and the community members they interact with daily.

Visual: We open on an aerial shot of Bonnie Doon town and see the hills, lake and houses.

Audio: Opening music.

SUPER: Introducing Bonnie Doon Community Group: 2023 Community Grants Recipient.

VO: The Bonnie Doon Community Group was established in 1999 when the school closed. And we thought we really would like to do something for the town and try and keep our old school in the area.

Visual: Another aerial shot of Bonnie Doon town which shows trees, houses, and cars.

Visual: Two women stand in front of the Bonnie Doon Community Group Centre.

SUPER: Nola Evans. President, Bonnie Doon Community Group.

Visual: The camera zooms up on the two women as one continues to speak.

VO: In 2004, we opened the Bonnie Doon Community Centre. So 20 years ago.

Visual: A man walks through the hallway in the community centre. There is a bench with teacups and a coffee filter behind him, as well as a pinboard with notices on it. He walks into a room and there is an Australia Post-branded poster sitting on an easel, with the text “Congratulations Bonnie Doon Community Group inc”. The room has couches, a coffee tables, flowers and a blackboard.

VO: We offer a broad range of services that bring people together, such as today's lunch, and provide other services for exercise, mental health.

Visual: A group of people sit at a large coffee table in the room. The table has teacups and cutlery on it. More people enter the room and continue to laugh and chat with each other.

VO: So the Comensality Lunch Project is a project that we thought up when we heard about the Australia Post grant for mental health.

Visual: We go back to the two women standing in front of the Bonnie Doon Community Group Centre.

SUPER: Rebecca Oslund. Bonnie Doon Community Centre Manager.

Visual: Two women enter the room carrying buns, sandwiches, and containers of salad. People continue to chat and shake hands in the room while the food is being spread out on the table.

VO: If we can supply a three-course meal, a healthy meal, then we might just get a few of the people that live alone that we know probably don't cook a lot to join us.

Visual: A woman holds a glass of water and watches other women talking. There is a blackboard in the background with “Welcome to our Food 4 Thought Lunches”.

VO: And we called it Food For Thought because we were thinking, how can we get people together to share?

Visual: Men and women continue to talk and shake hands around the table.

VO: And food is really a way that you can get most people out of the house. That was how the project was born.

Visual: Volunteers from the Community Centre are standing up and chatting to people around the table, encouraging and watching them eat plates of lunch.

VO: The second part of the project was bringing the younger generations together with the older generations, so that we could share some history. People can tell stories. Us younger generations can learn more about our community by sharing a meal together.

Visual: A close-up of the table which shows buns, lamingtons, cakes, and a platter of fruit. People continue to serve themselves food and then chat at the table.

VO: Because we're not for profit, we're also a charity. We run on a very shoestring budget, this has meant that we're able to provide a three course healthy lunch to at least 15 community members twice a month. So our volunteers, at the moment we have three girls that join us every lunch.

Visual: We go back to the two women standing in front of the Bonnie Doon Community Group centre.

VO: It's meant a lot to them because they formed relationships with a lot of local community members, and just share stories of our community, look after each other. So it's been brilliant.

Volunteers continue to speak to people around the table.

We go back to the two women standing in front of the Bonnie Doon Community Group centre. We then see people in the Community Group centre sitting around the table again, laughing and smiling.

VO: We're very pleased that we've got this grant because it brings all the young and old together. It's been marvelous to connect people.

Closing music.

Strengthening community ties through food

2023 recipient Bonnie Doon Community Group used their Australia Post Community Grant to launch Food for Thought, a project which provides a fortnightly meal to bring together seniors and local youth, helping to foster intergenerational connection and support mental health.

Video: The Australia Post logo sits in the top right corner.

Text: "Introducing Helping Hands: a 2022 Australia Post Community Grant Recipient." A woman wearing Muslim robes and headscarf selects a gilded book from a full shelf, and one of many sets of prayer beads hanging from hooks. The woman is interviewed.

Text: "Hana Umer, Helping Hands Coordinator." Two young Muslim men talk and laugh at a table. There's a Six Degrees sign on a wall. One man picks up a pamphlet that reads, "Are you struggling with your mental health? We're here to help." On the Helping Hands website, 'Resources' is selected. A list appears.

Audio: Hana: So Six Degrees is an organisation initiated by Podium Productions and it's essentially in response to the growing need for mental health services within the Muslim community. We hope to serve the Muslim youth aged between 18-24 years of age and basically just support them in whatever means necessary in relation to their mental health and linking our community with programs and services that suit them.

Video: Young Muslim women sitting in a circle laugh and talk. They wear traditional robes and headdresses. A woman sticks up a poster that reads "Currently in session." 3:30pm is written in pen. A Helping Hands banner stands near a table. The woman waiting at the table stands and greets another young woman. They sit and talk.

Audio: Hana: Helping Hands runs all across Melbourne. We are in the inner city, we're in the west and we're in the south-east and we've basically partnered with mosques and our Islamic societies at universities to kind of provide the support for the people who need it and, really, what we're trying to do here is create a safe place for them. We understand that our community has needs and wants within the mental health space and we just want to make sure that we're serving them in the way that they deserve to be served. We want to create safe spaces and safe environments for our Muslim community and our Muslim youth to access mental health services, especially when we recognise that there are so many barriers to accessing mental health services.

Video: Sitting cross-legged on the floor, three young men laugh and talk. The women talk in their circle. One holds a thick book open in her lap.

Audio: Hana: The Helping Hands program has had a really interesting way of connecting our community together in the way that obviously there's a really individual relationship between the help-seekers and the help-givers where the help-seekers are, hopefully, able to feel vulnerable and kind of let go of their problems over there in that situation. But even on a larger scale and when we're talking about broader conversations, the informal conversations our help-givers have been having with people across the community has been really heartwarming to see and I think it's really shown that we're ready for this conversation and we're ready to take these steps forward.

Video: Two men sit with an ornate book open on a stand between them.

Audio: Hana: The fact that AusPost is able to help with all of this is really telling of how we've come together as a society to kind of improve the mental health outcomes of people in need.

I think my number one tip for groups applying for the Australia Post grant is to be really purposeful in what you're trying to achieve and what outcome you want to have. In saying that, it's really important to consult your community group and make sure that their voice shines through in the application. The funds from Australia Post have really set the foundation and the base for what we can achieve in the future and we're really looking forward to seeing how we can expand.

Video: The Australia Post logo appears on a red background.

Text: "auspost.com.au/grants".

Normalising conversation around mental health

Melbourne-based organisation Six Degrees used their Australia Post Community Grant for their community-based Helping Hands program, offering a safe space for young Muslims to access important mental health tools and resources.

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