The Connecting Carers in their Community Small Grants Program will award grants between $15,000 and $25,000 to assist with activities that strengthen the local and social connection of unpaid carers.
This grant initiative is supported by the Victorian Government and administered by Carers Victoria. Small organisations and groups such as carer support groups and peer groups are invited to create opportunities to support and connect to carers in their local community.
Organisations that are not-for-profit or volunteer groups may apply. It is essential to hold an ABN.
The Connecting Carers in their Community 2025/2026 small grant round has the following objectives:
Please read the Connecting Carers in their Community Small Grants Program in 2025 Application Guidelines for information about the grants and key selection criteria.
Applications open: Tuesday 29 July 2025
Information session: Monday 4 August 2025 11 -12pm
Q&A session: Tuesday 12 August 2025 1 - 2pm
Applications close: Monday 18 August 2025 12pm
Successful notification (in confidence) and payment: September 2025
Public Announcement: National Carers Week – October 2025
Grant activities cease: 30 June 2026
Final Report due: 31 July 2026
The following documents have been designed to assist in your application preparation and planning:
If you have additional questions, please email our grants team or request a call back at grants@carersvictoria.org.au.
If you know of any carer support groups, community groups or not-for-profit organisations, who would be interested in furthering their work with carers and applying for this grant, please feel free to use the stakeholder kit to share with your networks.
ADEC plans to deliver a series of workshops for carers from multicultural and diverse communities living within regional areas of Victoria who may also feeling isolated and detached from their community. The overall aim is to improve quality of life, develop inclusive relationships, empower community, build on skills and confidence and identify ways to look after your health at home, and how it all links to overall mental health and wellbeing for carers. This will include linkage to support services legal, health, advocacy, and importance of self-care.
The Albury Wodonga Ethnic Communities Council is planning to establish a carer support group for the multicultural community that involves ongoing support, regular connections, reduction of social isolation, and upskill awareness sessions.
The group will provide support by organising events that will mitigate stress and social isolation by connecting carers to their community. This will include setting up a regular “Carers Shed” – a place to unwind and connect with friends and others in similar home environments.
The Alpine Valleys Autism Community are planning to establish an organisation facilitating peer support groups for autistic individuals and their carers covering the Alpine Shire. Our activities will include regular carer support meetings, autistic peer support meetings, neurodiversity-affirming learning events, social and recreational events, community advocacy, and learning events for both group members and the public. These activities will reduce social isolation among carers and autistic people, provide them with a regular event to look forward to, and improve their understanding of autism and neurodiversity and self-care practices.
Amaze will create an “Autism Peer Group Leaders’ Community of Practice” for grassroots peer support group leaders who assist parents and carers of Autistic people. Members of the community of practice will come from both regional and metropolitan areas and the group will be available for those with established groups, as well as people wanting to set up a new Autism peer support group.
Through a series of events, leaders will develop their confidence and effectiveness for sustainable and safe group operation by learning strategies for self-care, preventing burnout, and managing unsafe situations. At the end of the project, there will be a strong network of peer support leaders equipped with the necessary tools to sustainably run peer groups in their communities, improving the longevity of their groups in the future.
APOD Family Support is planning to start a regular support group for caregivers in the Geelong Region. The support group will be tailored for caregivers of individuals dealing with severe mental health challenges or substance misuse issues. The group will meet in-person every two weeks with monthly social events. These activities will provide connections, open conversations, stigma-free space, assistance with loneliness and isolation, mentorship, coping strategies education, and promote self-care.
The Australian Muslim Women’s Centre for Human Rights intend to create a Muslim carers’ network in the north (Hume, Merribek or Whittlesea) and south-east of Melbourne (Dandenong or Casey), bringing together Muslim women carers of persons with disabilities, through peer support sessions and social recreational events.
These activities are intended to reduce the social isolation of Muslim carers, support their wellbeing by providing a platform for catharsis and healing from the daily stresses and struggles of caring, structure a ‘me-time’ for respite and personal self-care whilst engaging in mutual learning and connection with other carers.
Our ‘carers cuppas’ will allow unpaid carers to get together in a safe, supportive community-based and inclusive environment. The events will be led by fellow carers with lived experience. They will enable participants to learn how to access new supports and resources for themselves and the person/s they care for. The ‘carers cuppas’ will also be designed and delivered to build carers’ capacity to participate in areas including employment, health services and community activities.
Through the auspices of Different Journeys, our partnership with Bendigo District Aboriginal Cooperative will allow us to co-host ‘carers cuppas’ to support Aboriginal carers to connect in culturally inclusive and safe ways.
The Bridge Inc are planning to build a contemporary, evidence-based social, community and economic participation support system for carers of people with a disability (PWD). The focus will be on multicultural and diverse backgrounds within the City of Casey, Dandenong and Cardinia. The model will encompass activities that provide employment pathway opportunities and support from local CALD partnerships. Carers will feel better supported and able to continue to care for PWD at home whilst participating in their local community via social and work-related pursuits. We hope to reduce social and financial disadvantage.
The Centre for Muslim Wellbeing will implement a three-month program for Muslim carers that involves a series of workshops, guest speakers, practical sessions, and support activities. These activities will enhance caregiving skills, improve emotional and physical wellbeing, and strengthen support networks for carers.
The program will cover essential topics such as self-care, stress management, effective communication, practical caregiving skills, emotional support, and Islamic healing practices. Additionally, carers will learn to access community resources and build a robust support network. Through this program, carers will gain valuable knowledge, skills, and connections, empowering them to provide compassionate and effective care while maintaining their own health and wellbeing.
In a new project, Continued Connections: Indigo Carers (CCIC), we are planning
to expand support for carers in existing carer support groups, utilise current knowledge of existing support groups to establish new carer groups in the Indigo Shire, and support cross shire collaboration learning by leveraging existing relationships with other carer projects.
The project aims to establish three new support groups across the Shire in collaboration with local Neighbourhood Houses and Community Health Services. Each group will be established to meet the specific needs of the identified carers and demographics of its community. The project will also explore the feasibility of an online support group to mitigate rural isolation and challenges of caring responsibilities.
The Chinese Parents Special Support Network will be organising a series of initiatives aimed at rebuilding peer support networks among caregivers within the Chinese community, who are still experiencing the effects of the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Additionally, we intend to engage carers whose children are over 18 years old, encouraging their involvement in our programs. Older carers have advised that they feel excluded from other carer initiatives, because their children are older. This exacerbates the feelings of loneliness as their child transitions into independent or shared living arrangements outside the family home. These activities will provide caregivers with opportunities to foster new connections and support networks.
Clota Cottage is planning to offer a multi-activity program for local carers, targeting CALD community members, yet welcoming all carers to reflect our inclusive approach to community development. We know that there are many carers in our local CALD community who do not have strong or ongoing connections with support groups and do not participate in activities for carers. We would like to address an unmet need for social support and respite.
clotacottage.org.au
Cobram Community House will provide a supportive and inclusive environment to provide support, resources, and empowerment to local carers. We aim to overcome the barriers experienced by carers in our regional community by hosting regular carer specific events, group meetings, facilitating workshops and inviting service providers and people with specialist knowledge to connect with our carer and share resources with carers.
This project will establish an online carers networking group for carers of people with Cystic Fibrosis so that the carers can safely access the online service without the risk of cross infection for this very vulnerable and isolated population group. This work will ensure carers of people with Cystic Fibrosis get the peer support to provide much needed support, encouragement, a brief virtual respite and social connection for the carers who are caring for people living with this rare and very difficult to manage disease.
We will run monthly support meetings for carers facilitated by lived experience carers of people with Cystic Fibrosis. We would also like to offer virtual retreats offering wellness activities in a safe social setting online and send out wellness hampers that are for use in their own time and in the virtual wellness group.
The Deaf Kids Carer Support Group is a new group for carers of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing children that involves co-design sessions followed by a series of face-to-face group sessions for carers. It will provide socialisation support alongside a workbook and take-home resource pack. Our activities will support employment opportunities for carers by providing paid participation in co-design, upskilling with the provision of reference letters, supporting carers (Deaf or hearing) to understand the Deaf ecosystem and where there are opportunities as a small business in that sector, advising carers of pre-existing services that have not yet been promoted in Auslan, rights for workers who are also carers and adjustments if you are looking for work and not sure how to approach embedding care responsibilities into a new role.
Our carer support group will provide a supportive environment for parents and carers of children with disabilities to build peer connections with people in similar situations, leading to increased belonging and wellbeing. We aim to create a space that nurtures and supports carers, making them feel understood and appreciated in their unique journeys, while also providing the opportunity to connect with other carers and access valuable information and resources.
We would like to increase carer supports in the area via a number of programs under our program Caring for the Carer. This will include a Peer Support Group, a Grief and Loss Support Group, and Work Readiness Program. These activities will achieve greater support, increased knowledge and resources, greater self-care, return to work options, better acknowledgement of the skillsets developed in the role of Carer, networking and opportunities to build friendships.
Wimmera Carer Connections is a relatively new group that has made its homebase here at Horsham Neighbourhood House. We are looking to help support the group with social activities, education opportunities and outcomes and will help grow the group and further equip them in the role as carers in our community. We want to be able to provide them with a varied program that not only educates them but stimulates them and puts a focus on the amazing work they do which is unpaid.
The Carers Engagement Project will work with young carers offering regular social and support activities, the provision of information and resources, and individual support/referral to other services. Through this broad range of provision, led by participants, we will provide a space for young carers in non-mainstream education settings, increase confidence, reducing isolation, and building skills and knowledge and hopefully improve school attendance of program participants.
At Kerang Neighbourhood House we are planning to establish the "Creative Carers Connection" for carers in the Kerang community. This initiative involves creating a new carer support group at Kerang Neighbourhood House, incorporating regular art therapy sessions to foster social connectedness and reduce isolation.
Our planned activities include monthly meetings where carers can share experiences and support each other. We will also invite guest speakers and professionals to provide valuable advice and resources on carer wellbeing including topics such as stress management, mental health, and practical caregiving tips. These sessions will provide a much-needed break from their caregiving duties, helping to alleviate stress and promote mental health and achieve enhanced social connectedness.
We are planning to create a support group for carers across our Indigenous community that involves monthly gatherings ranging from helpful information sessions to outings to yarns. These activities will achieve a non-judgmental space for carer support and advice, a safe place for carers to speak openly, an opportunity for time out and a yarn with other carers, with the understanding that yarning with other carers can make the world of difference.
It will provide carers with insight and information on their rights and responsibilities in a manner that is culturally appropriate for our cohort. Our project will give carers the opportunity to get away from their daily struggle and make social and supportive connections outside of their caring role and create opportunities for new interests and self-care. Gnuuteung means good, well, healthy in Peek Whuurong language.
Our project will enhance the wellbeing, social connection and work readiness of carers in the Campaspe/Goulburn Valley regions. KCLC - KDHS will collaborate to provide comprehensive, individualised support to carers, addressing their unique needs through tailored plans. We will support existing and new peer carer support groups, including those for Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and dementia.
We will also engage the community to identify additional support groups, such as those for MND/diabetes/arthritis/stroke/cancer. Our goal is to create sustainable peer support groups that foster social connections and provide ongoing assistance within the local community.
The foundation the Kyneton Community House Carers Club is to keep carers looked after in Kyneton and the Macedon Ranges. The model relies on carers having diverse opportunities to connect, and access to supports via referral when required. The Club is based in the aspirations of the carers themselves, not the needs of the person they care for. This is a fundamental element and point of difference focused on the wellbeing of the unpaid carers that engage. Lead carers will be in each activity group, and these will include diverse offerings such as walks, gardening, art, Feldenkrais, First Aid, industry training and dancercise.
Latin Stories Australia will create the first carer support group in Spanish for Latin Americans and Spaniard carers in Melbourne. This involves the delivery of online and in person workshops that will offer opportunities for connection among the carers in our community, tools to maintain their wellbeing and space to explore opportunities for advancing their personal goals, including career advancement. Each workshop will be building on the previous to take in the learnings and value the experiences from all attending.
This project aims to support carers aged between 30 and 70, from Chin and Karen communities from Myanmar, who come from refugee backgrounds and are responsible for caring for their children with disabilities (autism or physical disability), and/or looking after their frail parents.
The project aims to raise awareness among carers about the importance of self-care and to provide them with the resources and strategies to manage carer stress. This will include activities such as mindfulness, relaxation techniques, art therapy, massage, and personal grooming. We will also introduce them to community resources that can support carers. Carers will have the opportunity to share their experiences with others and receive social and emotional support.
The Neighbourhood Collective Australia will establish a new Multicultural Carers Group entitled “the Caring Circle.” The group will meet at our neighbourhood house in Bendigo, called the Old Church on the Hill. We will partner with Bendigo Special Development School, CatholicCare and Regional Victorians of Colour to provide referral pathways and support.
The funding will allow us to establish the group, policies and procedures, recruit and train volunteers, recruit and pay a facilitator, pay for bilingual support to increase accessibility and provide transport and catering. The group will run weekly facilitated sessions. Some sessions will focus on employability skills in catering and hospitality, and carers will have the opportunity to gain their Food Safety Certificate and participate in Barista coffee making workshops, using our commercial kitchen and commercial coffee machine.
Our project aims to bring together individuals from multicultural backgrounds living in North Richmond public housing who face language barriers and social isolation. We will organise weekly gatherings where carers can engage in conversations, share their personal stories, and build connections. Sessions will feature guest speakers to provide valuable insights and inspiration, they will also provide information for careers, helping fill out forms, supports advocate and contact organisation if needed.
Additionally, we will arrange excursions to offer a break from the daily responsibilities of caring for family members, allowing participants to relax and enjoy their time. This initiative is designed to foster a supportive community, enhance social connections, and provide a platform for sharing experiences among those facing similar challenges.
Notting Hill Neighbourhood House (NHNH) is planning to establish a new carer support group (Caring Together Hub) for the diverse multicultural carers connected to our current food relief program and other support services. This initiative will involve organising creative activities, meditation classes, wellness workshops, and work readiness mentoring.
We will begin with four larger events to help us find and connect with more carers and demonstrate that NHNH is a safe, welcoming, and supportive place. We will launch a weekly support and social group aimed at carers and host monthly larger activities alternating between opportunities for talking a break and learning. These activities will benefit the carers by providing essential emotional support, reduce social isolation, and foster a sense of community.
Nourish to Flourish are a newly formed carer support group for carers of a loved one with an eating disorder. We plan to hold educational sessions, provide educational resources and self-care activities where carers can connect with others with lived experience. Through these activities, we hope carers will receive mutual understanding and support in their journey, reduce isolation by connecting with others and take a moment for themselves through some self-care activities. We also aim to educate our carers about resources available to them in their role as a carer and to support them in becoming advocates for their loved one.
The Paynesville Neighbourhood Centre Inc. (PNC) connects and engages with unpaid carers across East Gippsland, including remote communities to deliver a range of supportive and inclusive workshops including financial wellbeing, empowering women including health and wellbeing, confidence building, topics relating to end of life including support services, funerals and trauma. These activities will achieve a sustainable support network within communities. We will draw on our existing resources and networks to ensure unpaid carers in small regional towns are given the opportunity to engage and connect with carers in other areas through these programs.
The Peninsula Autism Friendship Group will strengthen our current carer events and commence new carer events for carers of autistic individuals on the Mornington Peninsula, and in the Frankston and Casey areas. We will provide groups and activities for a range of carer groups, including parents and provide information packs for local community centres, preschools and schools for families new in their autism journey. We will also support siblings and young carers. There will be a particular focus on vulnerable families and those newly on their diagnosis journey.
Kyeema Support Services will create The Carer Hub which provides community liaison and support to individual carers and existing carer groups to enhance opportunities for practical, recreational and wellbeing support for improved mental health outcomes. The Carer Hub will be a one stop shop for carer information and referral.
We will create six social and wellbeing group activities or outings where carers can meet and connect with each other and explore self-care activities such as a walking group, moving meditation, day trips and art therapy workshops. These activities will boost positive mental health, enhancing self-esteem and build social connection. In addition, we will liaise with regional carer organisations to maximise access to activities and events which reduce social isolation and increase wellbeing and positive mental health outcomes.
We are planning to expand our peer-to-peer Carers Support Group, “Care & Share,” to reach more carers of people living with dementia in the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne and regional Mornington Peninsula. We will launch a new Care & Share Framework, formalise a training and induction program for our Volunteer Care & Share Facilitators, facilitate 80 Care & Share meetings in five locations from 1 October 2024 to 30 June 2025, fostering discussions and increasing opportunities for carers to share experiences, insights and build resilience.
We are planning to expand our peer-to-peer Carers Support Group, “Care & Share,” to reach more carers of people living with dementia in the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne and regional Mornington Peninsula. We will launch a new Care & Share Framework, formalise a training and induction program for our Volunteer Care & Share Facilitators, facilitate 80 Care & Share meetings in five locations from 1 October 2024 to 30 June 2025, fostering discussions and increasing opportunities for carers to share experiences, insights and build resilience.
The Victorian Aboriginal Health Service is planning to facilitate two streams of group program activities, Aboriginal carers of Elders and Aboriginal carers of children and adults with a disability. We will facilitate group sessions in culturally suitable settings to bring carers of Elders together to hear from experts, clinicians and support staff and offer each other peer support to manage their own and other family members’ wellbeing.
Often in Aboriginal communities, caring responsibilities require the carer to not only provide care for the Elder or person with disability, but also take a role in the wellbeing of others associated with the individual. However, there is a lack of culturally safe and appropriate support groups. This program will address that for families across urban Melbourne, with learnings shared more broadly.
At Wavlink, we will establish a new carers group based around enjoyable activities at our community house, and work readiness/change of career information sessions at our local TAFE. The natural cohort for our carers group is carers of people with a disability, because we are one of the few neighbourhood houses that provide a full program of courses for people with an intellectual disability – however, we are open to all carers.
Many of the carers we are connected to are from multicultural backgrounds, and the primary carers are mostly women. We will engage in a range of free art, craft or gardening activities to get carers together and talking, a series of social outings and also focus on work readiness, finding or changing work, and vocational training.
Over 3800 migrant and refugee women access our services at Wellsprings for Women each year. On intake, less than 1% of women self-report as being a carer. Once we get to know the women, it is clear that a material proportion provide unpaid care. We estimate this to be significantly higher than 11.9% of carers reported Australia-wide. Many CALD women accessing our services are 'hidden carers'. They are often family members in a caring role who do not see themselves as a carer, and therefore may not access carer services.
We are planning to establish a new Carers Group for migrant women in Dandenong. This will involve engaging carers, inviting them to participate in a Carers Group that promotes self-care, socialising and getting information about supports, services and employment pathways.
The WhatsApp Carer Support Group will engage carers to run peer led activities such as card making, budgeting household savings and expenses, and cooking demonstrations to eat healthily. Unpaid carers will be valued for their time and skills, and their involvement will build confidence. We will also run educational events on advocacy, assertive communication, time management, strategies to overcome sleep disturbances and how to be resilient. This will help us to improve our communication skills, wellbeing and feel good about ourselves!
Whittlesea Community Connections will develop employment pathways for carers with multicultural backgrounds by delivering one-on-one mentoring support and group information sessions. These activities will achieve benefits for carers including increased awareness of and confidence to navigate local employment pathways appropriate to carer needs, skills and knowledge, sense of self-worth and overall health and wellbeing. Planned activities will support carers and hidden carers, particularly those with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to gain access to informal and formal support networks.
www.whittleseacommunityconnections.org.au
Yarram Neighbourhood House will create a Carers Group for Yarram. Our target groups include those caring for young children, caring for children with disability or caring for the elderly. Yarram is a relatively low socio-economic area and there are many caring for others who have a low income and as such have little disposable income to spend on themselves.
Our Carers Group is a chance for these carers to come together with others in a similar situation. The group will provide social interaction, a place to learn from each other as well as professionals and somewhere accommodating to help with their fitness needs. The Group will meet regularly in a safe accessible place. These activities will achieve social connectedness with other carers, learning opportunities and wellbeing.
Yarramhouse.org.au
At the Yea and District Memorial Hospital we are planning to establish two new facilitated carer groups to support carers living in Yea and surrounding communities, including an open carer group and a group specific to carers of people living with Parkinson’s Disease. Each group will be facilitated by a health professional and will involve support and information, peer support leadership training, group outings and excursions, and activities to improve connection to other carers and the community, reducing isolation and burnout.
