Sydney Community Forum Ltd

We worked collaboratively with disadvantaged and marginalized community groups in the metropolitan and Western and SouthWestern Sydney region on a range of initiatives and actions to address social and economic disadvantage; social isolation and exclusion and sustainability issues and concerns. Our work focused on cohorts that face significant barriers to inclusion and participation in this city, including Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people and migrants. 1. We resourced and supported the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community & community workers in Inner Sydney to take action on their priority issues & concerns which included: dedicated affordable housing for the ATSI community in all new developments in the City of Sydney secretariat support & resourcing of the Inner Sydney Aboriginal Interagency Network. secretariat support & resourcing of the Inner Sydney ATSI communityled EORA NAIDOC Week events & activities 2. Our commitment to social justice, inclusion and sustainability informed our work with migrant communities in Western and SouthWestern Sydney through the 'Voices for Power' climate justice and energy equity project. We did this by: supporting and resourcing the CALD community to tackle energy poverty, address energy information asymmetry, and facilitate access to renewable energy. provision of an energy literacy program in community languages targeting culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Western and SouthWestern Sydney 42 training sessions to a total of 1741 people from across the diversity of Sydney's migrant community. 3. We advocated for the fair and affordable inclusion of disadvantaged communities in our region in Australia s renewable energy transition. Our efforts led to significant outcomes, ensuring these communities have access to thermal comfort and energy efficiency, particularly in the face of rising temperatures and extreme weather events. We strengthened advocacy & leadership of migrant community leaders to take action on access to renewables. We produced a documentary showcasing migrantled models of climate action. In collaboration with Energy Consumers Australia, we coproduced the Insights Report to highlight the experiences of CALD consumers within the energy system. 4. In 2024, we expanded the Women s Social Enterprise to support women from refugee, asylum seeker, and migrant backgrounds to address their economic disadvantage and social isolation by launching a sewing program in Bardwell Park which brought together migrant women from the local community. 5. We provided interagency support to agedcare services in the region, helping to build their knowledge and foster mutual trust, enabling them to collaboratively work for the needs and wellbeing of older adults in the community. We convened & resourced the CanterburyMarrickville and St George CHSP forums and organised an Aged Care Expo to showcase services and resources in the region