Local community groups and programs which boost participation for multicultural communities the Werribee electorate will share in $16 million of grants thanks to the Andrews Labor Government.

Local Member for Werribee, Tim Pallas said two local groups were successful in their bids for funding grants under the new Capacity Building and Participation (CBP) Program.

The CBP Program provides grants ranging from $5,000 to $230,000 for a period of between one to four years.

Statewide, more than 250 applications were successful and the total funding allocation over four years is over $16 million.

Some of the local recipients of the grants include:

• The Weaving Heritage of Karen, Karenni and Karennip Communities
• Western Strategic Collaborative (WSC) partnership

For the first time, there are grant categories to address family violence and gender equality in multicultural communities and to meet the needs of multicultural LGBTI community members.

The program aims to support regional multicultural communities, new and emerging communities from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds, youth, and women and seniors.

The CBP Program will build the capacity of multicultural communities to participate in all aspects of life across Victoria by:

• strengthening participation, inclusion and service access by multicultural communities across Victoria
• strengthening the capacity of multicultural community organisations, including language schools
• fostering collaborative partnerships between community and organisations, in which communities are empowered to use their knowledge and resources to improve social, cultural, educational and economic outcomes for the benefit of all Victorians

Competition for funding under the CBP Program was high, with nearly 500 applications across the state.

An extensive assessment process was undertaken, involving separate panels with subject matter experts from a wide range of organisations for each grant categories, a high-level strategic panel and VMC ratification.

Quotes attributable to Local Member for Werribee, Tim Pallas

“These grants will support our local projects and groups who work so hard to support multicultural communities.”

“It will help us create a more inclusive and integrated community and build relationships between local government, service providers and the wider community.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Multicultural Affairs Robin Scott

“The CBP Program is one of the ways the Andrews Labor Government is working to boost the participation of Victoria’s multicultural communities.”