Westbrook Community Fund distributes grants totalling $34,500 awarded to 23 local community groups
October 2022 in Events & Local Area
Last night saw 23 happy community and not-for-profit groups from Truganina, Tarneit and Williams Landing receive grants totalling $34,500 at the 2022 Westbrook Community Fund presentation evening.
An annual initiative of Dennis Family Corporation, the developer of Westbrook estate, this year marks the fifth year the Westbrook Community Fund has been running, with almost $120,000 distributed to local community since its inception in 2018.
The Dennis Family Corporation has successfully operated Community Funds across its residential estates both in Victoria and South East Queensland since 2002. This year, they are proud to be celebrating 20 years of successfully operating Community Funds across their residential developments, and have distributed more than $950,000 in grants to date, to provide invaluable financial support to hundreds of local not-for-profit groups and organisations.
This year’s presentation evening was held at the Dennis Family Corporation’s Westbrook estate in Truganina, with Dennis Family Corporation CEO, Peter Levinge on hand to congratulate each of the not-for-profit groups that successfully applied.
Eligibility for the $1,500 funding extended to not-for-profit groups operating in the Truganina, Tarneit and Williams Landing areas, with an independent judging panel awarding grants to a variety of organisations.
Numbering amongst this year’s successful applicants was the Tarneit-based African-Australian Family and Parenting Support Services Inc. The organisation’s Director, Dr Santino Deng, was thrilled to receive a $1,500 grant, which will be put towards various youth engagement activities.
“Many young African Australians in our community really struggle with making the cultural transition from the country where they were born and trying to fit in to a totally new society. We also know that feelings of isolation, boredom and social dislocation significantly increase the risk of young people making bad choices. So, we’re really focused on supporting them through sport, music and other social events, and will use the money to hire sports and other community venues where we can bring them together, give them purpose and encourage them to stay active.”
Truganina Thunder Football Club founder President and Westbrook resident, Nick Ladbrooke, was also on hand to accept a $1,500 grant on behalf of the Club’s Under 10 girls’ team.
“It’s quite challenging to put a girls football team together and COVID has also played havoc with our club numbers over the past couple of years. But things have definitely started to turn around this year and the grant money will allow us to attract even more girls to the Club which is great. A fair bit of this will inevitably be used to buy more uniforms and equipment. But we’d also like to put some of it towards our commercial coffee machine fund as we know a coffee machine in the canteen will be a much-needed revenue raiser for the Club – especially on chilly Winter mornings!”
Congratulations to all of the 2022 Westbrook Community Fund grant recipients:
- African-Australian Family and Parenting Support Services Inc
- Allura Gujjus Inc
- Australia Telangana Association Inc
- Australian Multicultural Women’s Association Inc
- Badminton & Table Tennis Connect
- Be Happy Foundation Inc
- Bhartiya Seniors Melbourne Inc
- Club60 Tarneit Incorporated
- Cross Culture Church Melbourne
- Dohertys Creek College Community Hub
- Haami Inc
- Indo Australian Seniors Club Inc
- JET Helping Hands Ltd
- Medhanialem Mahbere
- Melbourne Blasters Sporting Club Inc
- Neighbourhood Watch Victoria
- Ocean XI Cricket Club
- Tarneit Central Cricket Club Inc
- Tarneit Scout Group