Building Strong Communities: Cedar Woods Community Grants Program

Strong communities do not happen by accident.

They evolve over time, shaped by the people who give their time, energy and care to the places they call home. Local schools, sporting clubs, volunteer organisations and grassroots groups all play a part in turning a new development into a real neighbourhood. They create connection, build belonging and help make a place feel lived in.

At Cedar Woods, that understanding has long been part of the way we work.

Homes, parks, streets and public spaces matter, of course. But they are only part of what makes a community. A neighbourhood’s long-term success also depends on the people and local organisations that help bring it to life.

That is the thinking behind the Cedar Woods Community Grants Program.

Established in 2009, the program is part of Cedar Woods’ broader commitment to creating connected, resilient communities. It provides funding to local groups operating in and around Cedar Woods developments, helping schools, sporting clubs and volunteer-led organisations buy equipment, improve facilities and expand programs that deliver practical benefits for residents.

It is a simple idea, but an important one: strong communities are shaped by social infrastructure just as much as physical infrastructure.

According to Cedar Woods’ Managing Director, Nathan Blackburne, supporting these groups is a natural extension of the company’s approach to property development.

“We’ve been creating communities for more than three decades, and we know a thriving neighbourhood is about more than just the parks, streets and homes we build,” he says.

“It’s about the people and organisations that help bring those places to life.”

That thinking has guided the Community Grants Program from the beginning. Since 2009, Cedar Woods has supported more than 150 community groups across Western Australia, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, with a portion of sales revenue invested back into the communities Cedar Woods helps create.

That matters because the program is not a one-off gesture. It is part of a broader view of community building, one that makes sure support reaches the people and organisations helping neighbourhoods take shape.

For many recipient organisations, the grants provide support right where it is needed most. In some cases, that means helping a school buy uniforms, equipment or learning materials. In others, it means backing wildlife rescue, environmental care, food relief or local events that bring neighbours together. The projects are different from state to state, but the purpose is the same: to strengthen the communities Cedar Woods is helping to shape.

“It’s our way of giving back to the communities we help create,” Mr Blackburne says.

“A lot of these organisations are run by volunteers who put in countless hours to make their communities better places to live.”

Across Cedar Woods developments in Western Australia, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, the program has supported a wide range of initiatives. From school programs and grassroots sporting clubs to conservation groups and emergency-response organisations, the grants reflect the many ways a neighbourhood is supported once the built environment is in place.

Community grants in action across Australia

Western Australia

In Western Australia, Cedar Woods’ community grants have supported the kind of things that help a neighbourhood feel like a neighbourhood: local connection, grassroots sport, cultural celebration and care for the environment.

At Bushmead, Bushmead Community Incorporated received support in 2025 for conservation events, environmental maintenance and local community activities. The grant helped fund bushcare and weeding tools, planting materials, cleanup supplies and community morning teas. It is practical stuff, but it matters. It helps keep the local environment cared for and gives residents a reason to get involved.

The group also used its 2025 grant to support twilight markets and movie nights. In an emerging community, events like these can do a fair bit of heavy lifting. They give neighbours a chance to meet, have a chat and start building the sort of local connection that makes a place feel lived in.

Bushmead Community Incorporated also received support to create a community website, giving residents a central place to find local events, updates, groups and services. It is a simple tool, but a useful one, especially for people who do not rely on social media for community information.

At Ariella in Brabham and Henley Brook, Cedar Woods community grants have supported Brabham Cricket Club for several years, including in 2025. Funding has helped the club purchase jerseys and equipment, giving local players practical backing as the club continues to grow.

Also at Ariella, Cedar Woods supported the Brabham Multicultural Society’s Diwali Festival in 2025. The event has grown from strength to strength over the years and is now self-sufficient, which says something about the value of early support. Sometimes a bit of backing at the right time helps a local idea find its own momentum.

At Millars Landing in Baldivis, Cedar Woods grants have supported local soccer clubs with new goals and jerseys, helping young players and local teams get more out of their time on the pitch. The program has also supported Millars Mates, a resident community group that runs small local events such as Easter egg hunts and Halloween activities, giving neighbours more chances to come together close to home.

South Australia

In South Australia, Cedar Woods grants have supported school-based initiatives that make a practical difference for students, families and the wider community.

At St Raphael’s School, funding was used to host a trivia quiz night to help raise money for reading books, basketball court upgrades and other school initiatives. It was a simple community event with a clear purpose: bring people together, support the school and help fund things students can actually use.

At Le Fevre Peninsula Primary School, a grant supported the purchase of new athletics tops and football guernseys. On paper, that might sound like a small thing. But for students, it can mean a lot. It helps with inclusion, school pride and participation in sport, especially for younger kids who benefit from feeling part of the team.

That is the value of targeted community support. It does not always need to be grand or complicated. Sometimes a relatively modest grant, put in the right place, can make an immediate and meaningful difference.

Queensland

In Queensland, the Community Grants Program has supported a broad mix of local initiatives, from sport and education to wildlife care and food relief.

Across our Queensland communities, Flourish South Maclean and Ellendale Upper Kedron, the program has contributed $105,000 to schools, sporting clubs and not-for-profit organisations. At Ellendale alone, more than 60 local groups have been supported since 2017.

At Flourish, the grants have backed groups doing practical work close to home. Logan Wildlife Association received funding to purchase koala transport crates, veterinary scales and other equipment for wildlife rescue and rehabilitation. The Flourish grants also supported Onwards & Upwards, also known as Flagstone Foodshare, helping provide food hampers for people in emergency situations, along with fuel vouchers for those in need. In a cost-of-living environment where plenty of households are feeling the squeeze, that kind of support can make a real difference close to home.

At Ellendale, the grants have supported a wide range of groups too. Phoenix Netball Club received funding to help resurface its courts, while Everton Physical Culture Club received support to promote its affordable dance sport program for girls and women. Ferny Grove State School P&C also used its 2024 grant to purchase robotics kits, helping expand STEM learning for junior students.

None of it is especially showy, but that is the point. It is useful local support going to groups that help a community work a bit better.

Victoria

In Victoria, Cedar Woods community grants have supported a mix of education, inclusion, sustainability and emergency-response initiatives.

In 2025, the Truganina South Primary School Community Hub received support for programs designed for migrant and refugee women. The grant helped fund sewing machines, craft materials and outdoor gardening equipment. Simple things on paper, but useful ones. They give participants a place to build confidence, learn practical skills and take part more fully in community life.

In Melbourne’s north, Wollert CFA received support to help fund a new fire station, better equipped and better placed to meet the needs of local firefighters and the growing community around them. Wollert Community Farm also received support to establish a volunteer group, including a potting bench, nursery equipment and catering for volunteers. Again, it is practical support, but that is the point. It helps local people get involved in work that gives back to the wider community.

Recent grants have also backed hands-on school and community projects. At Wollert Primary School, a 2024 grant supported a vegetable and edible garden for the school’s Dig 2 Dine program, where students harvest, prepare and cook food grown on site. The Whittlesea Agricultural Society also used its 2024 grant to help remove and rebuild the Oak Stage used for the Whittlesea Show, supporting a longstanding local event with deep community ties.

Investing in communities for the long term

Taken together, these examples show that the Cedar Woods Community Grants Program is about more than one-off support. It reflects a long-term view of community building, one that recognises neighbourhoods are sustained by the organisations, volunteers and local networks that operate within them.

For Cedar Woods, building communities does not end when construction is complete. It continues in the schools, clubs, volunteer organisations and local initiatives that give a place its identity and help residents feel connected to it over time.

That is where the program does its best work.

By backing grassroots organisations and practical local initiatives, Cedar Woods is helping the communities it creates continue to grow in ways that are not only physical, but social and civic as well.

Because in the end, a strong neighbourhood is not defined only by what is built there. It is carried forward by the people and organisations that bring it to life.