Our story
More than four decades of supporting Sydney’s culturally diverse communities — today and into the future.
Where we are now
SydWest supports people across western and inner-western Sydney to settle, age well, live independently with a disability, and find their place in the community. Our team is bilingual, our offices are local, and our services are shaped by the people who use them.
In 2023, SydWest joined with Participate Australia and in 2025, Riverlink joined SydWest — bringing together two long-established not-for-profits and a combined history that goes back to 1983.
SydWest’s founding story
1980s
- SydWest was established in 1985 as Blacktown Migrant Resource Centre
- Participate Australia was established in 1983 as FRANS
- Riverlink Disability Services was established in 1987
1990s-
2000s
- From a small community initiative into a regional provider of settlement services
- Introduced aged care, youth programs and women’s support services for multicultural communities
2010s
- Launched NDIS support programs, employment readiness initiatives, and housing assistance
- Formed partnerships with SSI, Macquarie College and many organisations
2020s
- Formed partnerships with John Holland and TAFE NSW
- Merged with Participate Australia
- Led the establishment of the Western Sydney Region Settlement Consortium (WSRSC)
- Merged with Riverlink
Founding story
SydWest was founded as the Blacktown Migrant Resource Centre, in December 1985, with a mission to support newly arrived migrants and refugees to belong. This mission endures today with SydWest meeting more diverse needs of even more communities.
What began as a settlement support service working with multicultural communities, has evolved into a broad range of tailored programs supporting individuals and families across their life course, including disability support, youth and family support, and senior support.
Key milestones in SydWest’s journey, over past decades, include:
- Organisational name evolving from Blacktown Migrant Resource Centre to SydWest Multicultural Services
- Expansion of aged care services in Blacktown and across Greater Western Sydney
- Development of specialised programs for multicultural communities
- Integration of disability support services across Greater Western Sydney and beyond
- Organisational name evolving from SydWest Multicultural Services to SydWest
SydWest widened its footprint and disability services through the integration of Participate Australia and Riverlink Disability Services, organisations also founded in the 1980s. These organisations, founded in Croydon and Parramatta respectively, were established by parents of children living with disability who sought to create community and care for their families. This purpose made their integration into SydWest a natural one, meaning SydWest can support more diverse needs of more people.
Over the decades SydWest has grown alongside the communities it walks alongside. By listening to its community’s stories, situations and goals, SydWest has remained relevant and trusted in the Greater Western and Inner Western Sydney regions.
SydWest is grounded in its commitment to cultural responsiveness, seeking knowledge where it does not yet exist, and partnering with communities and stakeholders to co-create solutions, while continually adapting to evolving policy environments.
SydWest’s evolution reflects a deep commitment to values-driven support and creating opportunities for people of all backgrounds to belong and thrive.
What hasn’t changed
The detail of what we offer has grown over the decades, but the heart of it hasn’t. We work with people from diverse backgrounds, in their language, in their community — to help them live the lives they want.
