Community Cohesion

Our goal: Leverage the “Bulldogs effect” to create a harmonious community by actively engaging and celebrating cultural diversity.

· Increase social harmony through the Bulldogs in the Community program and Brydens Lawyers 500 Bulldogs Family Memberships to disadvantaged families including newly arrived refugees

· The continuation of our award winning Street Outreach program including the successful Drop In @ The Doggies and in collaboration with our community partners, deliver educational programs as well as access to Belmore Sports Ground for 4,500 disadvantaged youth

· Bulldogs in the Community and Canterbury Clothing Company will increase participation and sense of pride by “Kitting up” 15 local schools across Liverpool, Canterbury, Bankstown and Auburn with new sporting attire.

· Create successful career pathways for Indigenous students in Years 11 and 12 in participating schools across Western Sydney through the School to Work Programme

The Bulldogs have formed partnerships with local youth services to offer programs in a safe environment that will better equip young people that are deemed to be ‘at risk.’ The program is conveniently delivered at Belmore Sports Ground.

Be All In

The award winning ‘Be All In’ programme gives students an opportunity to participate in multiple sports and the education component covers topics like building social harmony, and valuing self-esteem and diversity.  

 

Duration – 8 weeks program

Target group – High Schools

 

  PROGRAM OUTCOMES

  • Collaborate with Western Sydney University, local Councils and community organisations across multiple regions
  • Improve student confidence by providing an avenue to meet and make new friends
  • Improve school attendance
  • Build community harmony
  • Provide educational pathways
  • Create a sense of belonging through sports

 

Brydens Community Membership Program

The Bulldogs believe we play a positive role in delivering social harmony. Thanks to our partner Brydens Lawyers, in 2017 the Bulldogs will collaborate again with local community organisations to allocate 500 (GA) family memberships to disadvantaged families including newly settled families.

As part of the initiative, Western Sydney University conducted an independent evaluation on the program and concluded the program provided significant benefits to the community.

The successful outcome and positive impact it has had on families has inspired Brydens Lawyers, Bulldogs and local community organisations to continue the program in 2018. 

 

Duration – TBC

Target group – Disadvantaged Families

 

PROGRAM OUTCOMES

  • Create social harmony
  • Engage disadvantaged families
  • Collaborate with local business and community organisations
  • Measure program impact through Western Sydney University

    KEY FINDINGS FROM WSU EVALUATION

  • Facilitated positive engagement between participants and service providers
  • Strengthened relations between community and business
  • Increased Bulldogs visibility in the community
  • Strengthened social relations

 

Level Up

In partnership with Mission Australia’s Canterbury Bankstown Youth Services (CBYS) the Level Up program was a finalist in the NSW Premiers Community Awards. The initiative provides a fitness and living skills program to our young people. The program intends on delivering fortnightly workshops.  These workshops will involve both educational components and practical fitness sessions where the young people will get to take part in safe, fun and supervised physical activities.

The program includes educational components covering different topics such as nutrition, gambling with particular focus on sporting events and mental well-being.

 

Duration – Every Wednesday (school terms) 5.30pm till 7.30pm

Target group – Young people

 

PROGRAM OUTCOMES

  • To support young people in the Canterbury LGA in exploring the importance of physical wellbeing and the impact on their mental health.
  • To provide fortnightly opportunities for young people to explore their physical wellbeing through fitness and nutritional workshops.
  • To purchase fitness/sports resources not only for the use in such workshops but also for the sustainability in future programs.
  • To provide young people with a strong understanding of the significance of their own health both physical and mental well-being.  

 

Street Outreach 

In partnership with local community organisations, Youth off the Streets (YOTS) and Barnados, the Bulldogs will be delivering a street outreach and drop in program.

The program is designed to assist young people from CALD (culturally & linguistically diverse) backgrounds who are at-risk of engaging in anti-social behaviour, committing crime and disengaging from mainstream education for reasons including family issues, behavioural issues and learning barriers.

 

Duration – Every Wednesday (school terms) 6.00pm till 9.00pm

Target group – Young people

 

PROGRAM OUTCOMES

  • To facilitate an environment where young people feel safe
  • To engage with and motivate young people to identify their values, strengths and passions and have a better idea of which career path to pursue
  • Improve young people’s understanding of society and opportunities available
  • To foster relationships between young people and youth services
  • To utilise the power of sports to unify people
  • To strengthen the young people’s sense of community such as being part of a fan club of a popular sports team

 

Special Olympics

The Bulldogs have had a long association with Special Olympics Australia for over 6 years. The partnership is committed to encouraging People With Intellectual Disabilities to actively participate in sport.

 

Duration – All year round

Target Group – People with Intellectual Disabilities

 

PROGRAM OUTCOMES

  • Increase healthy participation and inclusion in sports

 

Lilian Lane Arts & Entertainment Precinct Project

The Bulldogs and Vyva Entertainment have partnered up to breathe new life into Lilian Lane and present a new arts and entertainment precinct in the heart of the

Canterbury Bankstown LGA. For almost three decades the space outside the stadium, which connects Belmore Station and Campsie Station is being given a face lift and will once again open its arms to encourage and welcome the community to use and enjoy it.

Connecting it back to the historical roots of Belmore Oval, we’re taking it back, all the way back to Belmore’s 1991 Rugby League Season. After more than 25 years the Graffiti Wall is being restored with the help of some of the original writers and other locals from the area to repaint the track side wall of the stadium.

Funding partners: City of Canterbury-Bankstown (Stronger Communities fund) and Canterbury Leagues Club 

 

Duration – 12 months

Target Group – Youth

 

PROGRAM OUTCOMES

·         Crime prevention through environmental design

·         Youth engagement

·         Community activation

 

Linked Up

Linked Up is a Youth development and wellbeing program, which supports young people build attributes and skills needed to participate successfully in adolescence and adult life.  It uses a combination of evidence and arts based approaches and mentoring to work with young people in schools. 

 

Duration – 10-14 weeks Term 2 & 3 ( 2016) and Term 2 & 3 ( 2017) and term 4 (2017)

Target group – High school Students year 10 and 11.

 

PROGRAM OUTCOMES

  • Strengthening participants’ sense of identity, positive citizenship and belonging to the local community and wider society

  • Building participants’ connections with school or their vocational field of interest

  • Equipping participants with knowledge, skills and attitudes to respond in a positive way to stress and adversity

  • To improve the prospects of long term health, wellbeing and physical activity participation

  • Supporting young people with the skills and opportunities to apply their leadership skills

Our Community Partners