Andrew Leigh

Our September Community Champion is Crace Community Gardens

Crace Community Gardens is a warm and inviting space that brings local residents together, allowing them to grow their own fruits and veggies, encouraging healthier eating habits and environmental care. With a wide range of garden plots available, the space provides gardening enthusiasts with the opportunity to cultivate their own produce and connection within their community. In addition, the garden frequently hosts barbecues, working bees, and various community events, including their recent 10th birthday celebrations. 

Our August Community Champion is Canberra Street Cat Alliance

Operating since 2014, Canberra Street Cat Alliance aims to reduce the population of Canberra’s street cats in a humane manner. The organisation runs multiple programs to achieve this goal, including the Streets to Sheets Adoption Program, the Trap and Release Program and the Barn Cat Program.

Canberra Street Cat Alliance is an entirely volunteer run organisation, their volunteers provide veterinary care, desexing, microchipping and love to the street cats in their care. The group helps an estimated 400-500 cats every year, slowly reducing the impact of large cat colonies on the environment and surrounding businesses, as well as allowing the cats to live healthy, happy lives.

If you’d like to find out more about the Canberra Street Cat Alliance, check out their website here

Our July Community Champion is Raw Potential Canberra

Raw Potential Canberra is an organisation that aims to empower at risk youth by offering personalized mentoring and support services. With a focus on youth development, Raw Potential Canberra provides a safe and inclusive space where young individuals can explore their potential and overcome challenges.

 Through their outreach workers, the organization helps participants build essential life skills, Raw Potential's dedicated team provides assistance through multiple avenues, including connecting youth to vital support services, assistance in setting gaols and facilitating group activities, and communication and writing support.

Raw Potential Canberra has helped over 10,000 young people since 1986, if you’d like to help them grow this number, or find out more information, check out their website.

Our June Community Champion is Mental Illness Education ACT (MIEACT). 

For over 25 years MIEACT have been providing educational mental health programs all over the ACT and its surrounding areas. MIEACT is dedicated to reducing the stigma around mental health through proper communication and education. 

They offer group programs that cover a wide range of topics designed to build awareness and provide practical tools and support resources to participants. Through sharing their personal stories, MIEACT’s Volunteer Educators have created a safe space for Canberrans of all ages and demographics to learn about mental health issues. 

MIEACT provides mental health education to a wide variety of groups, including community groups, primary and secondary schools, and workplaces. If you’d like to help them continue their work through volunteering or donating check out their web site.

Our May Community Champion is BAPS Shiri Swaminarayan Mandir and Community Centre in Taylor

BAPS Shiri Swaminarayan is a Hindu organisation dedicated to promoting peace and spiritualism within the community.

BAPS are currently building a Hindu Mandir and Cultural centre located in Taylor, which I had the pleasure of touring last week. It was terrific to see the progress of the temple after the challenges of the pandemic. The completion of this Mandir will be a fantastic addition to the already existing temples around Canberra, which are testament to Canberra’s diverse multicultural and multi-faith community.

Organisations like BAPS provide essential community services and connection to Canberrans, especially our rapidly growing multicultural community. 1 in 15 Fenner residents identified as Hindu in the latest Census, and this new temple will help to further strengthen Canberra’s thriving multicultural and multi-faith community

Our April Community Champion is RSPCA ACT.

Operating in Canberra since 1955, the RSPCA provides a range of services to the community that help animals to be cared for, find a home and receive dedicated support from staff, volunteers and community members. One of the RSPCA’s most significant contributions is their tireless work in looking after surrendered, seized, stray or lost animals at their local shelter and providing love and care to animals that need it the most.

Currently caring for over 300 pets, the RSPCA ACT’s success in protecting and advocating for the welfare of animals, is a testament to the power of volunteering and community engagement in Canberra. They are responsible for some of the most well-loved community events in the ACT, including the million paws walk that takes place annually around Lake Burley Griffin that raises awareness for animal cruelty.

After a recent influx of animals, the RSPCA has put out a call for volunteers so they can continue to their important work. If you have capacity to help out and want to learn new skills and help to change the lives of our furry friends, you can get in touch and find out more via their website. You can also stay up to date via their Facebook.

Our March Community Champion is WALK-W-ME.

WALK-W-ME started in 2020 as a walking group for men post-lockdown to combat the isolation and anxiety caused by the pandemic. The group’s positive outlook and approach to mental health awareness through open conversation has led them to grow and become a positive Sunday morning routine for those involved. Now running a men’s, women’s and mixed group, WALK-W-ME provides a supportive forum to walk and chat and be part of a community. Starting something new is always a bit frightening, which is why WALK-W-ME is open to everyone regardless of fitness ability and is always welcoming to new faces.

Founder Zak Pino has emphasised the importance of connecting through disconnecting – leave your phone at home and commit your attention to one another instead. Members have shared how welcomed they’ve felt by the group’s judgment-free environment, including long-time Canberrans and people new to the ACT, showing how the values of WALK-W-ME are practiced by their members each week.  

If you’re keen to joining them for a walk, check out their Facebook page for further details.

Our February Community Champion is the St Vinnies Night Patrol.

St Vinnies Night Patrol are heading into their 22^nd year providing valuable services to those in Canberra sleeping rough. They provide food, hot drinks, warm clothing, sleeping bags and hygiene equipment to people in need and those experiencing homelessness through their mobile van service.

Night Patrol provides a non-judgmental space for anyone in need and the team of compassionate volunteers show their commitment to community-building. If you’re ever in need of their help, you can find them at: 

• Dickson Library - 7pm
• Veteran's Park, Corner of Bunda and Mort Street - 8pm
• Old Queanbeyan Visitor’s Information Centre - 7pm
• Canberra Centre/Illumincube - 8pm

I’ve often chatted with Night Patrol volunteers at the local shops, and was pleased when they won the Volunteering ACT Manager of the Year Award in 2021. They continue to remain as important as they were when they began in 2001.

A great way to support is to donate a spare sleeping bag. You can drop them off to my electorate office and we’ll get it to Vinnies. You can also donate or sign up to volunteer at a Night Patrol on the St Vinnies website here.

Our December community champion is the Percy Begg Pantry.

Dunlop locals Alison and Erica began the Percy Begg Pantry in the beginning of lockdown to provide food and basic necessities to those doing it tough in their community. Since then, they have cemented themselves as a community staple and embody their guiding principle of ‘neighbours helping neighbours’.  

Located in Dunlop, the pantry takes donations of food, pet items, toiletries and baby goods that are available to people doing it tough. The pantry is never locked, available 24/7 and is a judgment free zone.

This is a fantastic example of how valuable community connection can be for everyone involved, whether it’s people in need of support or locals giving generous donations. Ali and Erica have received heartfelt testimonies from neighbours, with some thanking them for helping to keep the lights on and other sharing their gratitude that they can enjoy Christmas with their families knowing there will be food on the table. They themselves have been blown away by the generosity and are proud to be part of a community that cares so much for one another.

If you’re keen on helping out, donations can be left on the front porch of their place on Percy Begg Street. Items that are most frequently used include UHT milk, children’s lunchbox snacks, pasta/pasta sauce, and toiletries. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Our November Community Champion is Karinya House.

Karinya House (a Ngunnawal word for ‘peaceful home’) is a local charity who provide round the clock support services to mothers and babies facing crisis in the ACT and surrounding region. Established 25 years ago, they believe that every woman who is pregnant and parenting should have the support she needs and aim to provide every woman with safety, shelter and a positive support network. 

They provide supported accommodation, outreach services, group support and practical assistance with food, baby clothes and household goods. Their individual case management is a key pillar of their program, which is tailored to the needs of each women seeking support. This helps these women get the practical support they need, and provides opportunities to build a supportive network, be confident in themselves and develop important personal skills.

Karinya House has partnered with many local organisations to extend their support services and have established themselves as a vital part of the community. They have been recognised with multiple awards and positive testimonials from women who have greatly benefitted from their assistance. The supportive environment Karinya offers through its programs and networks has helped change lives for the better and have a positive impact on future generations. 

If you’d like to find out more information about Karinya House, you can check out their website here. You can make a donation to their ongoing efforts here, and contribute to their Christmas appeal here.