Bridge Housing’s Big Ideas Grants initiative gives small grants to tenants for projects that bring people together in their neighbourhood or community.
Download a brochure to learn more or apply for a grant.
As part of Big Ideas, we have now launched Nourishing Neighbours, which enables tenants to apply for up to $100 towards a shared meal with your neighbours. We can also loan chairs and/or a shade marquee for outdoor events. Get together and catch up over a BBQ breakfast, a leisurely lunch or a dainty afternoon tea!
Click HERE to apply for a Nourishing Neighbours Grant online now!
Get in touch with the Community Team on 8324 0836 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss your proposed event.
The Big Ideas Grants program has been highly successful in creating opportunities for residents to build connections in their local communities including:
Sunday Art Club at Elger St
This project is run by long time tenant Felix and held in the community room at Elger Street, Glebe. The Art Club brings tenants together to create art independently and with each other and exchange skills like drawing, painting, and ceramics. The club welcomes anyone to come along for a coffee and a chat and get involved where they can.
The Big ideas Grant helped to fund the start of the program by purchasing art supplies. The club is now self sustained by all the tenants who get involved.
Felix recently won an Australasian Housing Institute Award for his participation in the Art Club.
Myrtle Street Memorial Tree Planting
Tenants at Myrtle Street applied for a Big Idea Grant to host a morning tea and have a memorial tree planted in their courtyard with a small plaque commemorating their friend. Tenants enlisted the help of Royal Botanic Garden’s Community Greening Officer Darren to plant the native tree with them and give care advice.
Zoomobile visit
Taronga Zoomobile visited tenants in Dee Why with six animals in tow. A huge thank you to Kerry and Elani who presented the happy animals, shared wonderful information and answered all the questions thrown at them. A special thank you to the Ikhlas, a tenant who took advantage of the Bridge Housing Big Idea Grant initiative to fund this zoo visit as a way to bring neighbours together.
Block Party
Carol organised a party for the tenants in her neighbourhood to meet each other and enjoy some delicious Indian food. Residents who made it along said that sharing a meal was great way to meet their neighbours, helping to make the block feel like a friendly place to live.
Maddad Dancers at Communities Belong
Yasmin organised a Big Ideas Grant to pay for the Maddad Sudanese Dance group to perform at “Communities Belong”, held at Riverwood Community Centre. This was a huge day out, packed full of performances, activities, and some superb kofta from the Riverwood Community Centre BBQ.
Communities Belong was developed for the Riverwood community to come together and share their diverse local cultures. The event finished off with an outdoor screening of the movie ‘Moana’ and was a wonderful day out for everyone who attended.
BBQ gathering place: South Coogee
Donna Rugless at Wauhope Crescent South Coogee worked with our Community and Assets Teams to see an outdoor table and chairs installed and a portable charcoal BBQ purchased for get togethers such as the one held for the Bin Bay launch. It’s a perfect spot overlooking the bush to Botany Bay.
New Year community gathering: Merrylands
Such was the success of this Big Ideas Grant funded event, organised by residents of a Merrylands apartment block, that they plan to hold future events by themselves. Resident Amanda said: “So many had a wonderful day. Time that we are planning our own, regular get togethers. Thank you, it was really a wonderful day and I wish all the best for the Big Ideas Grants program.”
Vietnamese New Year celebration: Eveleigh
A group of Vietnamese tenants at Rowley Street, Eveleigh, organised a tenant party to celebrate Vietnamese New Year. They connected tenants from different backgrounds including Vietnamese, Chinese, Australian and Aboriginal tenants – young and old. Tenant Thi Van said: “People met each other, had a chat, laughed and enjoyed the food. Bridge Housing went above and beyond to assist us.”
Poetry mapping project: Inner south
Tenant Noel Jeff worked with Alexandria Community Centre to run the Poetry Mapping project to celebrate the stories and histories of local people in the Alexandria and Waterloo, Erskineville and Redfern areas.
The project team, who developed a poetry booklet and performed it to 40 people at the Alexandria Centre Reopening Ceremony, said: “It created an opportunity for people to get to know each other in new ways, as they learnt more about each other’s lives.”
pdf Read the Poetry Mapping Book. (1.25 MB)
Saturday morning art club: Strathfield
Tenants at a Strathfield block get together every Saturday morning to draw, paint, and exchange stories and art skills. Ray Morgan, the founder of the art club, said: “This project helps people get out of their homes and join with others. Some people never talked to each other before they joined the club."
Learn more
Download a brochure to learn more or apply for a grant.
Talk to us about any projects you are interested in having funded. For further information please contact the Community team on 8324 0836 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.