Blacktown Women’s Support Group

Posted on 22/04/2025 | by Vikki Hine

Starting soon!

Join our Blacktown Women’s Support Group – Term 2 is starting 1^st May, it’s completely free!

Just some of the activities that you can enjoy include:

Career building workshops
Parenting discussions
Relaxation & self-care activities
Socialising Emotional support
Health and wellness workshops

Childcare is available, but you have to register.

CLICK HERE to download our Information Flyer

Want to know more? Contact Ambreen on 96216633 or email: ambreen.kamran@sydwestms.org.au

This program is funded by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice.

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Riverlink Joins SydWest Securing the Future of Disability services in Western Sydney

Posted on 31/03/2025 | by Vikki Hine

Media Release
31 March 2025

Two of Sydney’s most trusted community organisations, Riverlink Disability Services and SydWest Multicultural Services, are coming together to strengthen and expand disability support services across the Western Sydney region.

This merger, ensures that Riverlink’s person-centred, high-quality disability support services will continue for years to come, backed by the broader resources and expertise of SydWest.

Founded in 1987 by a group of proactive parents seeking better support for their children with disabilities, Riverlink has been a pillar of care and inclusion for almost four decades. SydWest, with nearly 40 years of leadership in multicultural and community services, shares the same mission: ensuring that people, regardless of background or ability, have access to the support they need to thrive.

“Riverlink was created by families who believed in something better. That belief is why we’re here today – making sure that same mission continues for decades to come,” said JouJou Faulker, CEO of Riverlink.

For participants and their families, services will continue as usual – same staff, same care, same commitment. Riverlink will retain its name and identity while becoming a legal entity within SydWest.

SydWest CEO Elfa Moraitakis welcomed Riverlink into the SydWest family, saying:
“This merger is about building something stronger together. Riverlink’s dedication to person-centred care aligns perfectly with SydWest’s values. By joining forces, we’re ensuring that more people receive the support they need, now and into the future.”

The merger follows SydWest’s successful integration of disability services provider Participate Australia in recent years, reinforcing its commitment to growing and sustaining high-quality disability and community services in the region.

What this means for the community:

Continued care. Riverlink’s services and support remain unchanged.
Long-term stability. The merger secures the future of disability services in Western Sydney.
More opportunities. Over time, participants will gain access to broader services, new programs, and greater community connections.

The transition process will unfold gradually, with a “business as usual” approach to ensure continuity and stability.

Click here to download full media release

For further information or to arrange photo opportunities or interviews, contact Vikki Hine, Media and Events, SydWest Multicultural Services on vikki.hine@sydwestms.org.au or 0428-109-215.

SydWest to celebrate Harmony Day 2025 in Blacktown – where everyone belongs!

Posted on 17/03/2025 | by Vikki Hine

Media Release
17 March 2025

SydWest Multicultural Services is proud to announce that it will be celebrating the annual Harmony Day event on Wednesday 19^th March 2025 from 10am in Bowman Hall, Blacktown.

Our event will showcase the rich cultural fabric of Blacktown, bringing people together to celebrate, learn, and reflect on the importance of unity. Through engaging speakers, cultural performances, and meaningful discussions, we will highlight how our differences and shared experiences enrich our society, making Australia a better place for all.

Speakers include:

Om Dhungel, former refugee of Bhutan, now a very respected community leader and a strong advocate for building community and harmony
Roman Abasy, former refugee from Afghanistan, an international sporting champion who is passionate about how sport can bring people together
Clients from SydWest sharing their stories about the challenges of settling and what harmony means to them.

This event is supported by Blacktown City Council and by the Western Sydney Region Settlement Consortium. We anticipate more than 200 people to attend this event.

“It’s a day to celebrate what makes us unique and to encourage us all to belong together” said Elfa Moraitakis, CEO of SydWest Multicultural Services.

“This event is an exciting opportunity to connect with others and promote harmony in our community” she said.

“Our event will showcase the rich cultural fabric of Blacktown, bringing people together to celebrate, learn, and reflect on the importance of unity. Through engaging speakers, cultural performances, and meaningful discussions, we will highlight how our differences and shared experiences enrich our society, making Australia a better place for all” she continued.

We are encouraging everyone to wear orange and show their support for cultural diversity and inclusivity.

Orange is the designated color for Harmony Week and represents social communication, meaningful conversations, and mutual respect between people from different backgrounds. Join us in celebrating Harmony Day 2025 where Everyone Belongs!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Media enquiries
For further information or to arrange photo opportunities or interviews, contact Vikki Hine, Media and Events, SydWest Multicultural Services on vikki.hine@sydwestms.org.au or 0428-109-215.

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Celebrating Unity and Diversity: Blacktown’s Harmony Day 2025

Posted on 11/03/2025 | by Vikki Hine

Where everyone belongs

Join us in celebrating Harmony Day 2025 where Everyone Belongs!

We’re excited to announce our annual Harmony Week celebration event on Wednesday, 19th March, starting at 10am at Bowman Hall, Blacktown.

Sponsored by Blacktown City Council, this event is a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate the rich cultural diversity in our area. Harmony Day, celebrated on 21st March, is a special day in Blacktown where we embrace the message that ‘everyone belongs’. This day is dedicated to promoting inclusiveness, respect, and a sense of belonging for everyone.

Our celebration aims to highlight the importance of coming together to appreciate our cultural diversity. It provides a chance to reflect on how our differences and similarities make Australia a great place to live. With engaging speakers and entertaining performances, we promise a thought-provoking and enjoyable event.

We hope attendees will gain insights into how we can all contribute to ensuring everyone feels they belong in our community. Additionally, we aim to raise awareness about the challenges faced by new arrivals and the valuable contributions everyone can make towards a better society.

Join us in celebrating Harmony Day and help us spread the message of inclusiveness and unity in Blacktown!

For more information, contact info@sydwestms.org.au or Tel 9621-6633.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Wear Orange! We encourage everyone to wear orange to this event, to signify your support for cultural diversity and inclusivity, as orange is the designated color for Harmony Week. Orange represents social communication, meaningful conversations, and mutual respect between people from different backgrounds.

This event is hosted by SydWest Multicultural Services and sponsored by Blacktown City Council and supported by the Western Sydney Region Settlement Consortium.

Western Sydney Backswing Kicks Off for 2025!

Posted on 21/01/2025 | by Vikki Hine

Employment readiness support for people with disability

We’re excited to announce the launch of the Western Sydney Backswing project! This innovative program is designed to help people with disabilities, including those from multicultural backgrounds, prepare for jobs and connect with employers.

Participants will gain valuable job skills and have the opportunity to gain work experience with local employers. The project aims to highlight the benefits of employing people with disabilities, especially those from CALD backgrounds. And the best part? It’s completely FREE!

SydWest’s Backswing commences the week of Monday 17th March, with classes scheduled across Sydney! Our main groups will be in Blacktown and Mt Druitt. Participants are excited to start soon, to learn how to become more employable, and to meet real bosses and managers!

Our VIP guests from different industries are scheduled for Friday 20th June. On that day we’ll have a performance and a meet n’ greet for our participants. It will be an exciting end, with photos, lunch, drinks and fun for all.

Want to learn more or get involved? Contact Michael Voulgaropoulos, Backswing Coordinator, at 0419 373 153 or Michael.v@sydwestms.org.au.

Click here to read more about how the Western Sydney Backswing program works.

This project is funded by the Dept. Social Services.

Story updated 13-Mar-2025

Merry Christmas – holiday season notice

Posted on 20/12/2024 | by Vikki Hine

We wish everyone a safe and wonderful Christmas and New Year! Our offices will be closed from Monday 23 December 2024 and reo-opening on Monday, 6 January 2025.

For Aged Care: All group-based services will be on-hold while individual services will continue as scheduled. For any urgent matters concerning individual services, please contact your on-call coordinator.
Happy Holidays! 🎉

See you in 2025!

Celebrating a Decade of Partnership for Seniors Christmas Celebration

Posted on 03/12/2024 | by Vikki Hine

3 December 2024
Media Release

SydWest Multicultural Services is excited to announce its annual Seniors Christmas Celebration, taking place on Saturday, December 7th, at Bowman Hall in Blacktown, starting at 2pm. This year also marks the tenth anniversary of our successful collaboration with the Sri Sathya Sai Global Council – Australia.

The dedicated volunteers from Sri Sathya Sai Global Council have been instrumental in making this event a success. Their contributions range from setting up the venue to organising the entertainment & gifts for our seniors and recording the proceedings. This year, around 50 volunteers will be working on the day from Sri Sathya.

“We are so pleased to be working with Sri Sathya Sai Global Council in delivering our annual Christmas for seniors – they are a powerhouse partner without whom we would not be able to run this event with such great success each year,” said Mereline Murimwa-Rarami, SydWest’s Aged Care Manager.

Over the past decade, this event has grown in size, strength, and popularity. This year, more than 400 seniors will enjoy performances by various seniors social support groups, featuring cultural dances and songs, as well as other entertainment.

Elfa Moraitakis, CEO of SydWest Multicultural Services, expressed her gratitude: “I am so thankful to our Aged Care team and their strong collaborative connections with Sri Sathya Sai Global Council that allow us to celebrate our seniors and the holiday season together. This partnership is truly an example of SydWest values in action.”

Join us in celebrating this milestone and the festive season with our vibrant community!

STATEMENT ENDS /

About Sri Sathya Sai Global Council – Australia

Sri Sathya Sai Global Council – Australia is a non-profit voluntary organisation. Inspired by the founder, Sri Sathya Sai Baba who is regarded as a global teacher and a humanitarian, the members of the Sri Sathya Sai Global Council – Australia strive to make a positive impact on society through various humanitarian initiatives, free educational programs, and community service projects.

The teachings of Sri Sathya Baba can be summed up as ‘LOVE ALL-SERVE ALL, HELP EVER – HURT NEVER.’ The members dedicate themselves to the practice and promotion of love and compassion through selfless service. More information on Sri Sathya at https://saiaustralia.org.au/

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FULL MEDIA RELEASE

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Walk with Us 27 November, Blacktown

Posted on 29/10/2024 | by Vikki Hine

As part of our ongoing commitment to addressing domestic violence within our communities, we are pleased to share that we will be marking International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women with a special DV Awareness Walk on 27^th November in Blacktown.

This event is part of the Outer West DV initiative for 16 Days of Activism, where communities around the world join the call to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls. Our event will not only serve as a powerful visual representation of our stance against domestic violence but also as an inclusive opportunity to unite our clients, staff, and community.

We are planning for all staff and interested participants to join us in this walk to raise awareness and support for those impacted by domestic violence.

Join us on Wednesday 27^th November from 9.30am on Blacktown’s Village Green.

We are looking forward to a great community response!

Click here to download Walk with Us information flyer

Australian-first humanitarian engineering program expanded until 2030

Posted on 03/10/2024 | by Vikki Hine

New funding will support an Australian-first project that brings together engineering students and diverse communities in search of solutions.

RMIT first-year engineering students are meeting with community groups in Victoria and New South Wales to co-design and prototype innovative engineering solutions to solve community problems. A recent surge in support has seen the funding pool increase from $10,000 to $40,000, bringing the total to $210,000 until 2030.

The project sits within RMIT’s Humanitarian Engineering Lab, co-led by Dr Spyros Schismenos and Dr Nick Brown, and its recently established HERCULES – which stands for Humanitarian Engineering Research Consortium: Understanding and Leveraging Engineering with Society.

It is a collaboration between RMIT and SydWest Multicultural Services, Settlement Services International and PRONIA – all not-for-profits (NFPs) which work with culturally and linguistically diverse communities, including migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.

CLICK HERE TO READ FULL MEDIA RELEASE

Minister launches settlement consortium for Greater Western Sydney

Posted on 01/10/2024 | by Vikki Hine

Media Release
1 October 2024

Assistant Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs the Hon. Julian Hill MP has officially launched the new Western Sydney Region Settlement Consortium (WSRSC) at a special community event in Blacktown last week.

WSRSC will see 4 migrant resource centres and multicultural organisations leveraging their significant skills and expertise to support newly arrived migrants and refugees settling in the area.

65% of new arrivals to NSW settle in Greater Western Sydney with popular areas including Blacktown, Campbelltown, Cumberland, Liverpool and Penrith.

The consortium is funded by the Federal Government through the Settlement Engagement and Transition Support (SETS) program and is led by SydWest Multicultural Services.

The other partners are Accessible Diversity Services Limited, Community Migrant Resource Centre and Western Sydney Migrant Resource Centre, all operating in the Greater West for almost 4 decades.

Minister Hill paid tribute to the grassroots approach employed by consortium members working hand in hand with local ethno-specific groups and community leaders.

‘The real magic happens when multiple organisations can invest in collaboration and find those ways of sharing and working together, and thereby being able to connect the clients – the people that we serve – with the best service [and] the right service for them,’ the Minister said.

Leading Australia construction group John Holland representative Sharon Stevenson said the company was excited about opportunities to partner with consortium members in its bid to create a more diverse construction industry.

John Holland is already working with SydWest on a job readiness program for refugees and migrants in Western Sydney which enables them find work in construction or like industries, benefiting both those looking for work, and an industry looking for skilled workers.

“Together we can make a lasting impact on our community,” she said.

SydWest CEO Elfa Moraitakis thanked those who attended the launch to hear about the new entity and how it could work with others in the community to benefit the community.In her address, she also reflected on the long history of the migrant resource centres and their contribution to the successful settlement of newly arrived refugees since 1981.

More than 120 guests turned out including community leaders and local councils, sector leaders, local police, health services and jobs and training providers.

Entertainment was provided by the talented Larissa Kovalchuk who played the Bandura, the national instrument of Ukraine. Larissa is a current contestant on The Voice, 2024.

Here is a link to a short social media video about the new consortium and its benefits. The longer video was showcased at the event.