Successfully taking home one of our $50,000 Primary Grants in 2020 were:
CARAD
The Centre for Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Detainees provide practical and essential welfare, advocacy and volunteer support services, as well as social enterprise opportunities through the Fare Go Truck project that we funded three years ago.
Their clients have been hard hit by COVID-19 – the first to lose jobs, no government support due to visa status and then the last to find new jobs in the now super-competitive job market. They would use our grant to expand on the Fare Go Truck project with a dedicated officer three days a week to maximise opportunities and co-ordinate all activities.
Dismantle
In 2018 Dismantle won our $100k grant and used it to set up ReNew Property Maintenance as a vehicle to provide real-world work experience for at-risk youth identified through their Bike Rescue program.
ReNew is going strong and supporting itself, with 28 of the 30 participants so far, now successfully transitioned into training or employment.
Their proposal to us is for the next logical (and vital) step: one-to-one case management through their Work Development Program to provide their youth employees with soft-skills, tangible materials and practical assistance to secure them ongoing employment.
Ishar Multicultural Women’s Health Services
Ishar Multicultural Women’s Health Services was one of our finalists from last year and is an applicant again this year.
They provide holistic health and well-being services for refugee and migrant women and they are keen to address the high level of domestic and family violence prevalent in another culturally and linguistically diverse and seriously under-served community, the City of Gosnells. This is an issue that has been significantly worse since the Covid-19 lockdown.
Ishar know there is significant demand so they are hoping to use our funds for a pilot program of individual support by a social worker and counsellor. Once they can prove up their case they will be able to attract further funding in order to continue to provide women south of the river with a much-needed service.
Kalparrin
Kalparrin support families who are caring for a child with disability in a multitude of vital ways.
Our grant would fund them to run online, facilitated peer support groups that will connect all kinds of families, and particularly those with new diagnoses.
Taking it online means more are able to take part, fitting into busy schedules, keeping in contact from a distance, managing siblings etc.
Midlas
Midlas (Midland Information, Debt and Legal Advocacy Service) provide free family law, financial counselling, tenancy advocacy and emergency relief support for the vulnerable and disadvantaged.
They plan to widen their reach by creating a tailored mobile office that will attend where other services are provided to homeless people. This will assist Midlas in their goal of overcoming the barriers that keep the homeless on the street and will provide a hand-up rather than a hand-out.
Zonta House Refuge Association
Zonta House Refuge Association provide refuge and transitional accommodation, holistic support services and education to women and families affected by family and domestic violence. This issue has been an increasing problem since the Covid-19 lockdown. Zonta would use our grant to continue their program, Future Employment Connections, which provides comprehensive support to improve the chances for their clients to participate in the community and achieve sustainable outcomes.
And the Runners-Up (with a $10,000 grant each) were:
Blue Room Theatre
The Blue Room Theatre provides unparalleled resources, support, opportunities and advocacy to the WA performing arts sector.
They plan to provide live shows, inside and out, around the Perth Cultural Centre in order to reignite and stimulate the growth of the Perth performing arts sector following the massive hit caused by COVID-19, with lockdown banning all gatherings and therefore removing the source of income for artists.
The program will be providing work for local artists, enticing people back into the CBD and reaching new audiences.
Darling Range Wildlife Shelter
Darling Range Wildlife Shelter are on the outskirts of town at Martin – they rescue and rehabilitate local wildlife and water birds.
With only one paid staff member and over 140 volunteers, DRWS struggled to be able to continue their essential service of rehabilitating wildlife during the lockdown.
With our grant, they want to do some capacity building by improving how they manage their volunteers and working to attract more support.
Fair Game
Fair Game provide fitness and health education programs to under-serviced communities. They also recycle unwanted (but good quality) sporting equipment to be distributed to individuals otherwise unable to access these items. Their aim is to inspire and enable children to keep active and healthy.
As a response to increased demand due to Covid-19, they would use our grant to grow and improve their Recycle & Donate program, setting them on a strong path for the future.
