Local causes set for major funding boost

A local charity stands to receive a game-changing $100,000 grant as part of the Fremantle Impact100 program.

The program involves 100 donors, who contribute $1,000 each and then come together for the Voting & Awards Night to hear from the four finalist charities and vote to see who takes home the $100,000 grant.

Impact100 is just $15,000 short of its target before the awards night on 25 October.  

This year’s four finalists are:

Dementia Australia – Fremantle Community Development Officer Short Back and Sidewalks – Fremantle Expansion St Patrick’s Community Support Centre – Housing Success The Literature Centre – Imagination Space 2025 

Meet the finalists

Read on to learn a bit this year’s Impact100’s finalists, you can head to their website to explore more of the incredible work they are doing and the impact they are having on their communities. If one of these organisations really resonates with you feel free to donate to Impact100 Fremantle, come along to the Voting & Awards Night, and cast your vote!

The Literature Centre - Imagination Space 2025

Building a love of reading, stories and imagination for young people whose access to the transformative power and joy of creativity is challenged by social, economic and cultural circumstances.

In 2025 The Literature Centre will work with schools, teachers, students and artists in Fremantle and surrounding areas to build creative skills and imagination through focused full day workshops in a range of storytelling platforms.

The project will be run from the Old Prison Hospital venue and on location at schools where requested. It will be available for free to a range of schools in Fremantle and surrounding areas including low ICSEA government, private and independent schools, and schools with Language Development and Intensive English Learning Centres.

Over the course of 2025, students from grade 3 upwards will spend one day per term working on their own stories under the guidance and mentorship of some of Australia’s best and most acclaimed diverse storytellers across multiple platforms including picture books, middle grade and Young Adult (YA) fiction, poetry, comics, graphic novels, screenwriting, song writing and oral storytelling.

We want to do more to ensure all young people in the area we live and work in have access to creative learning and see themselves as writers, artists and storytellers of the future.

Imagination Space 2025 will encourage more young people to feel safe in this space for creative learning, imagination and ideas, to read more, to express their ideas more and to see themselves as writers, artists and storytellers.

Through this program and its immersion in positive dreaming alongside artist and teacher mentors and role models, young people at risk of low confidence and capacity to thrive in community will build their resilience and well-being.

For more info: https://www.thelitcentre.org.au/

St Patrick’s Community Support Centre

Setting someone up for housing success is a vital part of any homelessness service.

Securing affordable accommodation after a period of homelessness is difficult, but when housing is secured, furnishing homes and setting people up with basic items to maintain housing is another challenge.

People often start with nothing, particularly if they have experienced chronic homelessness or fled domestic violence.

To address this, St Pat’s has trialled an innovative new Social Enterprise – Housing Success. The Project aims to alleviate the stress and cost of setting up a home, increasing the chances for a successful new start.

Trialled over an 18-month period through our Community Store, with funding thanks to the Minderoo Foundation and in collaboration with our Housing Support Service. Housing Success is a personalised, client centred approach to assist people with the transition from homelessness with items such as furniture, kitchenware, soft furnishings and household items.

We also include personalised packs for different target groups including child settling-in packs, and basic pantry items. Every person (or family) receives a Community Store voucher to come back to the store once they are settled to select items for those final touches.

One of St Pat’s main goals is to establish the Community Store as a Social Enterprise providing opportunities for clients and residents with a history of chronic homelessness to take up volunteer roles to build confidence and gain skills and create employment and or education pathways.

For more info: https://stpats.com.au/

Short Back And Sidewalks

Cutting Hair.  Creating Connections.

Short Back & Sidewalks is a not-for-profit organisation founded in Western Australia in 2015 by Australian of the Year 2022 WA Local Hero Craig Hollywood.

It is the only operating service of its kind in Australia and until August of last year, when we engaged our first paid staff member, SBSW was run entirely by volunteers.

We provide haircuts free of charge and free of judgement to people experiencing homelessness and poverty.  

Our aim is to give 15,000 free haircuts by 2025. To date we have given over 8,500 haircuts and created 17,000 positive connections by over 200 volunteers. Our service is more than just a haircut.  Dig a little deeper and you’ll see that we are building positive connections and creating visibility for some of the most vulnerable and marginalised members of our community. We offer a time and space in which our clients are not defined by their circumstances; they are seen, heard and valued by our haircutting team.

We partner with experienced homelessness service providers to deliver our services at their premises on a monthly basis. Over the past 2 years, the need for our service has grown significantly and we are expanding regionally throughout WA and across the broader Perth metropolitan area.

We are seeking support to grow our newly established services in the Fremantle area through partnerships with providers such as St Pats and others. We work with Fremantle based volunteer hairdressers and barbers who generously give their time once a month to make an impact in their local community.  In doing this, we create local connections and build community capacity. 

Support from Impact100 Fremantle will enable those experiencing homelessness and poverty the opportunity to increase their self-confidence through the simple act of a haircut and positive human connection – one that can not only change their day, but may also change their life. 

For more info: https://www.shortbackandsidewalks.com/

Dementia Australia

Dementia Australia is the national peak body supporting people living with dementia, their families, and carers.

Dementia is the second leading cause of death in Australia and will likely soon become the first, yet it remains a challenging and often misunderstood condition.

Dementia Australia exists to support and empower the 421,000 Australians living with dementia, and the 1.6 million people involved in their care. Our vision is an inclusive future where all people impacted by dementia receive the care and support they choose. Our strategic priorities are to truly transform the experience of people impacted by dementia, with 3 priority areas: timely diagnosis and support; quality care; and reduce discrimination.

Our services include counselling, education, interactive support technology, a national helpline, support services and program including tailored offerings for younger onset dementia and post- diagnostics services.

Dementia Australia are seeking funding to work with the Fremantle community to: 

build capacity of the community to understand dementia  connect with dementia services and supports  to build integration between the community, health, and aged care sectors to facilitate better outcomes for people living with dementia and their carers/loved ones; and  create sustainable knowledge, access to ongoing resources, and connections for all people impacted by dementia which are sustainable beyond the project’s duration. 

To achieve this, we will engage a Community Development and Liaison Officer who would be known by the community as a point of contact, information, and support for dementia.

More info: https://www.dementia.org.au/

Join Impact100 Fremantle

The Impact100 Fremantle volunteer committee would like to thank those involved for being part of the journey so far.

Read more about Impact100 Fremantle here: https://www.fremantlefoundation.org.au/impact100-fremantle

Feel free to drop them a line [email protected] or call Stu on 0407 152 110 any time to talk through Impact100 Fremantle, how it works and who they support.