City of Parramatta will soon no longer support this version of IE. Consider upgrading your browser now. 
2025 Recipients
On Wednesday 12th March 2025, the City of Parramatta Council hosted its Annual Community Grants Ceremony at Rosehill Bowling Club. This celebration recognised 27 outstanding applicants who are set to make remarkable contributions to our community. Our diverse recipients, including passionate not-for-profit organisations, dedicated community groups, and innovative social enterprises, showcased the incredible spirit of Parramatta. The City of Parramatta Council extends heartfelt congratulations to all grant recipients, and we are excited to witness how these transformative projects will enrich our community over the next 12 months.
Community Events
(Back to top)| Organisation | Project Title | Event Details | Funding amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Migrant Resource Centre | Parramatta Pongal | Pongal is a Tamil cultural harvest festival celebrating gratitude to land and nature. The event helps new Sri Lankan Tamil arrivals connect with their new Australian home while preserving cultural traditions. Through music, dance and traditional ceremonies, Pongal brings the community together and passes cultural heritage to younger generations. |
$10,000.00 |
| Little India Australia | Harvest Festival 2025 | The Harvest Festival in April celebrates Indian harvest traditions with food, music and dance, offering a vibrant showcase of India's cultural heritage. |
$10,000.00 |
| Mother’s Day Classic Foundation | 2025 Parramatta Mother's Day Classic | The Mother's Day Classic at Parramatta Park is a community walk/run event supporting those affected by breast and ovarian cancer while raising research funds. The family-friendly event includes an Acknowledgement of Country, entertainment, photo opportunities, kids’ activities, and food vendors. |
$10,000.00 |
| Somali Welfare and Cultural Centre | Africultures Festival 2025 | Africultures is a one-day festival celebrating Western Sydney's African communities through food, market stalls, workshops, live music, and dance. The event showcases African cultural heritage while fostering connections between African and non-African communities, local businesses, and services. | $10,000.00 |
Growing Social Enterprise
(Back to top)| Organisation | Project Title | Project Details | Funding amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian School of Entrepreneurship | Future is Female Parramatta Startup Incubator | Young female entrepreneurs find Parramatta's startup space intimidating. To address this, we're launching an intensive 6-month incubator program for Western Sydney women aged 18-27, providing a supportive environment for developing startup ideas and business skills. | $17,776.60 |
| Findmeapp | The Right Job | The Right Job program helps disadvantaged job seekers in Parramatta improve their job search capabilities. Through 15 workshops (15 participants each), participants learn about the Western Sydney job market, assess their employability, build confidence, and gain access to entry-level positions. The program also connects with local employers to create employment pathways for participants. |
$22,224.00 |
| Taste Cultural Food Tours Inc. | Parramatta School Tours | A new Parramatta Cultural Food Tour for Schools will be developed and trialled with teacher feedback. Subsidies will be created to ensure accessibility for financially challenged local schools, making this curriculum-supporting program available to all local students. |
$15,159.00 |
| Travengers AU | Autism Social Events in Parramatta | New autism social groups in Parramatta will host 24 annual events for 50+ teens and young adults, helping integrate autistic individuals into the community and build local support networks. A Community Engagement Officer and Support Guides will facilitate activities, promoted through local advertising. | $24,825.00 |
Community Capacity Building
(Back to top)| Organisation | Project Title | Project Details | Funding amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avenue Parramatta | Final Accessibility Touches | Avenue Parramatta seeks support to finalize an accessible bathroom, enhance sensory rooms, install an evacuation chair, and acquire IT equipment for microbusiness development. | $18,307.00 |
| Be Unstoppable Foundation Ltd | Empowering Women – Breaking Chains from Domestic Violence | 'Empowering Women' is a 10-week in-person program providing a safe space for domestic violence survivors and their children. The program helps participants heal from physical, psychological and emotional impacts while building toward a healthier future. Expert counsellors, psychologists and coaches provide both group and individual support. |
$11,921.50 |
| Bobby Goldsmith Foundation | Western Sydney Cultural Consultant | Bobby Goldsmith Foundation (BGF) is launching a one-year project in Western Sydney to support people living with HIV from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities. A Western Sydney Cultural Consultant will work with BGF to deliver culturally sensitive programs, including "Eat Well, Live Well" nutrition initiatives, to improve health outcomes and quality of life for the local HIV community. |
$20,000.00 |
| Boronia Multicultural Services | Informed to Empower | The project will conduct 6 culturally appropriate workshops. These workshops will educate the community on forced marriage, family violence and healthy relationships for behaviour change and strengthening family relationships. | $8,807.04 |
| CCA New South Wales | Development Through Play and Connection | This project teaches parents about play and connection in child development through evidence-based programs "Sing and Grow" and "Peep Learning Together". Programs will run at shopping centres like Carlingford Court, as well as structured sessions at Parramatta LGA libraries and online. | $11,815.00 |
| Coptic Orthodox Community Outreach Service | Serving Those in Need | Purchase and upgrade of equipment to allow Coptic Orthodox Community Outreach services to continue and grow. | $6,273.00 |
| Diversity Arts Australia | Shifting the Balance Leadership Program - Parramatta | he Shifting the Balance Leadership Program at PHIVE provides leadership development for 40 Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) arts and cultural leaders in Western Sydney. The program includes masterclasses, mentoring, networking events, and equity training, with Stage 2 offering advanced leadership training and individual mentorship. | $20,000.00 |
| Epilepsy Action Australia | IT Infrastructure Upgrade | Equipment purchases to replace current infrastructure and IT upgrades. | $3,584.16 |
| Hope Connect | The Telopea Shed | Telopea Shed is a fully equipped workshop providing creativity, connection and belonging through woodwork, home maintenance, and carpentry projects. Open to all skill levels, it enables community members to learn and share skills. Hope Connect creates a safe environment where newcomers can share life together and find meaning. | $5,683.00 |
| House of Welcome | Working Together to Nourish Our Community | House of Welcome is committed to supporting the disadvantaged by providing 125 monthly food packs to St. Merkorious Charity and Jesuit Refugee Services (JSR). These snack packs will be distributed during St Merkorious hamper pickups at Parramatta Park, serving the homeless community and JRS Food Bank retrospectively. The packs will be thoughtfully prepared in House of Welcome’s Granville catering kitchen by refugees and individuals seeking asylum, offering them a valuable opportunity to contribute to the community while gaining work experience. | $12,000.00 |
| Nautanki Theatre | Advantage Room | A 6-month program to develop creative and leadership skills for five South-Asian CaLD creatives from Parramatta/Western Sydney. Through Nautanki's 6 workshops across 2 modules, participants will gain professional growth opportunities, stage production experience, and business skills, with their work showcased in Parramatta. |
$10,575.00 |
| North Epping Men’s Shed | North Epping Men’s Shed | Installation of the internal lighting in the Men’s Shed to allow members to safely work in the shed. | $12,500.00 |
| Royal Life Saving NSW | Lifesaving for Seniors |
Royal Life Saving NSW will run 5 Seniors Lifesaving Skills workshops for people 60+ in Parramatta. The workshops will cover CPR and AED use, helping 125 participants refresh their lifesaving and water safety skills. These sessions aim to empower local seniors as safety advocates in their communities. Programs will be held at PHIVE, Wentworth Point Library and the Parramatta Aquatic Centre. |
$10,000.00 |
| Side by Side Advocacy | Hear My Voice | A public speaking skills program for people with intellectual disability includes workshops, one-on-one support, and creation of videos and podcasts. Led by a Peer Mentor, participants will develop confidence and create materials to help secure employment and volunteer roles. The program concludes with a showcase event. | $19,634.30 |
| Sri Om Foundation | Health and Wellness Program | Sri Om Foundation's Health and Wellness Program supports seniors through health screenings, fitness classes (yoga, tai chi), and nutrition workshops. The program provides mental health support and social connection opportunities, working with local health providers to build an active senior community. | $10,000.00 |
| The Warrior Woman Foundation | The Young Warrior Woman Program | The Young Warrior Woman Program helps vulnerable young women transitioning from out-of-home care. Using a strengths-based approach, it builds financial literacy, education, and employability skills for independent living. The Warriors at Work component helps participants secure and maintain employment. | $10,000.00 |
| Western Sydney Community Forum | Leadership Forum for Aged Care | Western Sydney Community Forum's Leadership Forum will bring together aged care providers, consumers, and policy makers to improve services and policy integration in Western Sydney, fostering dialogue and strengthening community connections. | $8,300.00 |
| Western Sydney Orchestra Project | Sharing our Stories and Music with Parramatta | WestPhil will combine live orchestral music with storytelling through a collaboration between their students and WestWords writers. This project builds on an April 2024 initiative and will include a student-led campaign to increase public awareness and support for WestPhil, with guidance from the WestPhil Board and professional writers. | $20,000.00 |
| WestWords | It’s Time to Share our Stories | WestWords will implement a marketing strategy to boost community engagement and fundraising. Through enhanced digital marketing, they will strengthen community connections and showcase Parramatta's stories nationally and internationally, creating opportunities for local artists. | $12,500.00 |
