Bankstown RSL Club

Empowering Youth through Education and Opportunity

Bankstown RSL Club is strengthening opportunities for vulnerable young people through its ongoing partnership with Youth Off The Streets (YOTS) Bankstown. The collaboration supports the Education and Engagement Hub, which assists young people aged 12–25 experiencing homelessness, school disengagement, family conflict and other complex challenges.
Through sustained funding and advocacy, Bankstown RSL helps deliver essential programs including the Youth Pathways Program, job‑readiness workshops, vocational training support, counselling, outreach and practical life‑skills sessions. These initiatives have contributed to improved school attendance, stronger engagement and successful transitions into employment or further study for at‑risk youth.
Beyond financial support, the club provides real‑world opportunities by hosting career sessions, networking events and site visits that introduce students to potential pathways in hospitality and community services.
Bankstown RSL’s partnership with YOTS demonstrates the transformative power of education and community investment — offering young people not just learning opportunities, but hope, stability and a future.

Campbelltown Catholic Club

The Health Pro+ Project

Campbelltown Catholic Club’s sustained investment has been pivotal to the development, growth and success of Youth Solutions’ Health Pro+ project — an initiative that equips future health and community‑service professionals with the skills and confidence to respond safely and compassionately to alcohol and other drug concerns. Entering its third project cycle, Health Pro+ exists at its current scale because of the Club’s financial backing, advocacy and commitment to strengthening community wellbeing.
The Club’s support has enabled Youth Solutions to deliver tailored workshops across local TAFEs, Western Sydney University and ACU, ensuring tertiary students receive evidence‑informed, stigma‑aware training grounded in harm minimisation and person‑centred care. Their funding also powers the Turn On The Light campaign, which reinforces workshop learning through campus activations, digital engagement and resource distribution.
The results demonstrate clear community impact: 123 students completed the workshop series, with 96–100% reporting increased knowledge, preparedness and confidence in supporting others. More than 2,500 resources were distributed, and campaign engagement reached thousands across campuses and online.
Through strategic, ongoing investment, Campbelltown Catholic Club is building a more capable, compassionate future workforce — and directly strengthening community safety and wellbeing.

Campsie RSL

Supporting Local Youth, Building Stronger Communities

Campsie RSL has helped facilitate the Mental Fitness 4 Life pilot program at Granville Boys High School with outstanding results. Backed by $38,500 in 2025 and a further $34,500 for Term 1, 2026, the Club enabled a structured, evidence‑informed early‑intervention program for students facing complex mental health and behavioural challenges.
Delivered by respected mentors — including Paul Langmack, Matt French and The Youth Regiment, Dr Brad Morris, Joe Tau and Phil Gould — the program combined trusted role models with practical emotional‑regulation and resilience training. The impact was significant: a 20% reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms, a 65% increase in attendance, a 70% drop in negative incidents, and suspensions falling from eight to zero.
Students reported feeling more supported, confident and connected, while teachers noted calmer classrooms and improved engagement. Families also benefited from strengthened routines and reduced conflict at home.
By investing in credible mentors and measurable prevention, Campsie RSL Group has delivered a clear community return — supporting safer schools, stronger families and healthier pathways for vulnerable young people.

Club Central Menai

The BEAR Project Breaking Barriers Equity AccessResilience

Club Central is proud to support The BEAR Project, a youth‑led initiative reshaping the way Sydney responds to youth homelessness. Their commitment extends beyond financial backing — Club Central actively champions young people’s voices in decision‑making spaces, helping ensure those with lived experience are leading the solutions that affect their lives.
At the heart of the project is the Youth Peer Advisory Collective (YPAC), formed in 2024 and led entirely by young people with firsthand experience of homelessness and structural disadvantage. YPAC members co‑design programs, influence policy discussions and develop community‑driven solutions grounded in equity, access and resilience.
The Club’s support has enabled leadership development, peer mentoring and advocacy campaigns that connect vulnerable young people to essential services and prevent homelessness before crisis point. Young participants have gained confidence, skills and visibility, while local organisations have benefited from their insight into effective youth engagement.
Through this partnership, Club Central Menai and Hursvtille are helping build a stronger, more inclusive Sutherland Shire — where young people are not passive recipients of support, but empowered changemakers shaping community priorities and driving meaningful, systemic change.

Club Rivers

Keeping the ANZAC Spirit alive

Club Rivers is proud to highlight its School Spirit of ANZAC Program, developed in partnership with Harold Richard Matthews OAM, whose decades of service to veterans and the community embody the values the program seeks to preserve. Now in its fifth year, the initiative ensures younger generations develop a meaningful understanding of the ANZAC legacy — courage, mateship, sacrifice and service — through active engagement rather than passive observance.
The program partners with local schools to involve students directly in ANZAC and Remembrance Day commemorations, including readings, musical performances and wreath‑laying. It also fosters connections between students, veterans, families and community representatives, strengthening intergenerational understanding and civic pride. Schools report increased student confidence, stronger public‑participation skills and a deeper appreciation of ANZAC traditions.
A key strength of the initiative is its focus on leadership and responsibility, with nominated students consistently demonstrating resilience, compassion and commitment to their school communities. By investing in this program, Club Rivers is helping ensure the ANZAC spirit remains alive, relevant and actively upheld by the next generation across the Georges River community.

Coffs Harbour Surf Lifesaving Club

From Beach Safety to Lifelong Learning

Coffs Harbour Surf Life Saving Club has expanded its traditional lifesaving role through a structured, year‑round coastal safety education program designed to reduce drowning risk and strengthen community awareness. With national data showing that 43% of drowning deaths occur on the coast and people born overseas are disproportionately affected, the Club recognised a growing need for practical, accessible education — especially as Coffs Harbour’s tourism and international student populations continue to rise.
The program transforms the Club’s long‑standing volunteer knowledge into tailored learning experiences for schools, universities, visitors and culturally diverse groups. Sessions cover hazard identification, rip‑current awareness, patrol systems, safety signage, equipment demonstrations and local coastal orientation using real maps and incident insights. Delivered both on the beach and at the Club, the program provides hands‑on, culturally appropriate education not achievable through signage alone.
Participants report increased confidence and understanding of safe beach behaviour, while volunteers gain valuable leadership and teaching skills. Now embedded into annual operations and aligned with national safety campaigns, the program ensures lifesaving knowledge is shared year‑round — building safer beaches, informed visitors and a more resilient community.

Dee Why RSL Club

Empowering Hospitality's Next Generation

Dee Why RSL has strengthened local career pathways through its 2025 Student Hospitality Tour, delivered in collaboration with the NSW Department of Education’s Regional Industry Education Partnership (RIEP) program. Over two immersive days, students from four Northern Beaches schools explored real‑world hospitality careers through behind‑the‑scenes tours, interactive workshops and hands‑on learning experiences across the club’s operations.
Students met staff from a range of departments — including culinary, customer experience, leadership, administration, marketing and IT — gaining insight into the depth and diversity of roles within the industry. A highlight was a practical cooking workshop led by Executive Chef Alison Kinross, which boosted student confidence and sparked strong interest in hospitality careers.
The initiative has already delivered meaningful outcomes, including two full‑time cookery apprenticeships and 23 work‑experience placements. With plans to expand the program in 2026 and new partnerships with local schools and TAFE NSW, Dee Why RSL is helping build a skilled, job‑ready talent pipeline for the Northern Beaches hospitality sector.

DOOLEYS Lidcombe Catholic Club

Preventing Family Abuse Through Education

DOOLEYS’ $80,000 investment in a pilot prevention initiative with the Child Abuse Prevention Service (CAPS) was a deliberate commitment to early education and community safety. CAPS, operating since 1953, has long worked at the frontline of child‑protection education, empowering families, educators and children with the practical skills needed to recognise, prevent and respond to unsafe situations.
The Safe Children, Safe Communities program delivered age‑appropriate personal safety lessons to children aged 3–7 in preschools and childcare centres, while parallel sessions equipped parents and educators with critical knowledge about grooming behaviours, disclosure responses and mandatory reporting. Running alongside this, CAPS delivered Safe Arrivals — culturally tailored education for migrant and refugee women and girls, strengthening understanding of Australian laws, healthy relationships and support pathways.
The pilot was independently evaluated by the Australian Institute of Health Innovation at Macquarie University, which reported increased confidence among educators, clearer protective strategies among parents, and stronger rights awareness among women and girls.
DOOLEYS’ funding not only delivered programs, it built local workforce capacity to continue prevention education long-term. This initiative reinforces a simple truth: safeguarding children and empowering women begins with early, informed, community‑embedded prevention.

Gosford RSL Club

Hospitality Hotshots Building Local Career Pathways

Hospitality Hotshots, launched in 2024 by Gosford RSL in partnership with the Regional Industry Education Partnerships program, is giving Central Coast students a direct pathway from classroom learning to real‑world hospitality experience. Each year, 30 students from Years 10–12 participate, gaining hands‑on insight into one of the region’s largest and most diverse industries.
After strong feedback in its first year, the program expanded in 2025 into a fully immersive experience hosted in Gosford RSL's The Gallery. Students rotated through practical, activity‑based stations led by department specialists, completing tasks across food presentation, front‑of‑house service, event setup, motel operations, laundry services and pizzeria preparation. The format helped students build confidence, understand workplace expectations and see hospitality as a skilled, long‑term career pathway rather than casual employment.
Students were also offered structured work‑experience placements, deepening their exposure to genuine career opportunities. With growing interest from schools and advisers, Hospitality Hotshots will return in 2026, with plans to further align the program with curriculum and industry training frameworks while retaining its strong practical foundation.

Holman Barnes Group Wests Ashfield

Your Degree, Our Shout!

Wests Ashfield Leagues Club, via Holman Barnes Group (HBG), has transformed opportunities for local youth through its University Scholarship Program — an initiative fully funded, designed and championed by the Club to break down financial and social barriers to higher education. Launched in 2023, the scholarship provides full tuition, exam fees, textbooks and study-related costs for the duration of each recipient’s university degree. This comprehensive support is paired with paid employment across HBG venues and structured mentoring from senior managers, giving students real-world experience alongside academic progression.
The Club partners with Ashfield Boys High School, Burwood Girls High School and St Vincent’s College to identify outstanding students who show academic talent, resilience and leadership potential but face socioeconomic disadvantage. Since inception, Wests Ashfield has funded six scholarships, with recipients now studying paramedicine, law, communications and more, while gaining hands-on experience in departments such as marketing, finance, IT and venue management.
Wests Ashfield’s ongoing financial and in‑kind investment reflects a long-term commitment to equity and youth leadership. By removing financial barriers and providing genuine pathway opportunities, the Club is helping shape the next generation of skilled, confident and community‑minded local leaders.

Mounties

Back‑to‑School Backpacks for Kids

Mounties Group has helped hundreds of NSW students start the 2026 school year prepared and confident through its Back‑to‑School Backpack initiative. In partnership with Good360 Australia, the program delivered more than 800 fully stocked backpacks to 25 schools across Western Sydney, the Central Coast, the Northern Beaches and, notably, to every school‑aged child in Wilcannia — one of the state’s most remote and disadvantaged communities.
Backpacks were packed by a 30‑person Mounties volunteer team at Good360’s Smithfield warehouse, ensuring each student received essential learning supplies such as workbooks, calculators and maths sets. The initiative was funded by an $80,000 contribution from the Mounties Group Board of Directors, supported by a previous $125,000 investment that established the partnership with Good360.
By easing cost‑of‑living pressures and addressing educational inequity, Mounties Group is strengthening community wellbeing and helping students begin the school year with the tools they need to succeed.

Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club

Learning Beyond the Shoreline

Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club (NCYC) has transformed its marina into a year‑round floating classroom, delivering one of the Hunter region’s most comprehensive maritime education programs. Through its six‑day‑a‑week Sailing Academy and a wide range of accredited courses, the Club equips participants of all ages with practical sailing skills, maritime safety knowledge and lifelong confidence on the water.
Programs span junior sailing, teen marine education, adult keelboat training, safety and survival courses, marine radio certification, technical workshops, celestial navigation, racing rules and instructor accreditation. NCYC also hosts inspirational masterclasses, offshore sailing talks and regular wellbeing education through partners such as Hunter Heart Safe. This holistic approach strengthens both technical competency and personal development.
Since 2025, the Club has expanded program delivery, increased safety course frequency, enhanced offshore training pathways and strengthened women’s sailing initiatives, resulting in higher female participation and stronger volunteer capacity.
By embedding education into daily operations, NCYC improves marine safety across the Hunter, develops skilled sailors and officials, and builds a more confident, resilient maritime community. At NCYC, learning doesn’t stop at the shoreline — it begins there.

Parra Leagues

Building Independence Through Road Safety

Through its amalgamated club Viking Sports Club, Parra Leagues has funded a specialised road safety program with Giant Steps Australia, supporting autistic children and adults with complex needs to safely navigate their communities. Delivered in 2025 through ClubGRANTS, the program provides daily, individualised learning that builds confidence, independence and life‑saving pedestrian, bike and scooter skills for participants who face significantly higher risk in everyday environments.
Giant Steps, which supports profoundly autistic individuals without charging fees, used the funding to deliver intensive, practical road‑safety education, specialist staffing, tailored strategies and essential equipment. The program supported 168 autistic individuals, equipped 210 staff with improved approaches and positively impacted more than 500 family members. Sixty participants also gained new bike and scooter skills, expanding mobility and leisure options.
The initiative continues a long‑standing partnership between Giant Steps and Parra, demonstrating a commitment to long‑term community impact. For many families, the program has been transformative, reducing isolation and enabling safer, more independent community participation.

Seven Hills RSL

Empowering Kids with Lifesaving Water Skills

Seven Hills RSL has reaffirmed its long‑standing commitment to community safety through its continued support of Royal Life Saving’s water‑safety education programs. With drowning prevention a national priority, the club recognises that every child deserves the skills and confidence to enjoy Australia’s aquatic lifestyle safely.
In 2025, Seven Hills RSL contributed $65,000 to support Water Smart Kids, an early‑education program helping vulnerable children aged 3–12 build essential water‑safety awareness. Using fun, practical and age‑appropriate learning, the program empowers children to recognise risks, develop critical skills and participate more safely in everyday water environments.
This contribution forms part of a partnership spanning more than 15 years. Since 2009, Seven Hills RSL has invested $607,658 in Royal Life Saving initiatives, ensuring life‑saving education reaches the families who need it most.
For Seven Hills RSL, community support is an ongoing promise — and protecting the safety of local children will remain at the heart of that commitment.