About Western Sydney Community Forum
WSCF Vision:
Leading Western Sydney community organisations to enhance strong, democratic, vibrant, socially just local communities
WSCF Statement of purpose:
Western Sydney Community Forum strengthens the work of community organisations across the Western Sydney region to increase the capacity and resilience of disadvantaged communities.
WSCF Members:
Funded and unfunded community-based services/organisations working for social justice in Western Sydney.
Description:
Western Sydney Community Forum is the Western Sydney regional peak organisation providing regional leadership, facilitates collaborative action and develops resources to enable community organisations to effectively address issues relating to social justice and social inclusion
Learning and Development Program:
- provides non-government organisations and groups with learning opportunities and resources, including the translation of written materials into a range of community languages;
- supports the development of services that better meet the needs of marginalised and disadvantaged people and communities.
Regional Resource Program:
- supports and resources collaboration between local groups and networks;
- responds to current and emerging issues and needs of the region;
- facilitates community participation and representation in planning and decision making processes;
- supports the development of services that better meet the needs of marginalised and disadvantaged people and communities.
Service Network Development Program:
- provides opportunities to build collaborative working partnerships between services working with families with children to enhance the development of good practice models in effectively supporting families;
- services the local government areas of Auburn, Parramatta, Holroyd, Blacktown and Baulkham Hills;
- fosters relationships and enhances service provision for families and children (0-8) in the Cumberland Prospect region.
WSCF Strategic Directions:
All projects work towards:-
- facilitation of collaborative action on social justice issues and leading responses to government policy;
- building of strong resilient community organisations in Western Sydney;
- connecting proactively with marginalised groups to increase equity of access to resources;
- demonstration and practice of models of good governance and sustainability.
The history of Western Sydney Community Forum
During 1981 a number of agencies and groups in Western Sydney became concerned at the lack of effective consultation and information sharing between funding bodies and community based organisations. There was a belief that this situation would only be rectified if community based organisations became more organised themselves.
A well attended public meeting was held at the Blacktown Area Health Centre on 3rd August 1983, sponsored by more than a dozen organisations in the region. Sue Vardon, then YACS Regional Director for the North West Metropolitan Region attended and indicated her department's support for a regional coordinating body of non-government agencies. Other speakers spoke on various groups' experience with WSAAS, YACS, Wage Pause, Community Employment Program and Community Tenancy Schemes funding programs. The meeting unanimously endorsed the concept of the "Western Sydney Community Forum" and set up a Steering Committee.
A second public meeting was held at Fairfield on 19th October 1983 to formally establish the Western Sydney Community Forum. This meeting adopted the Constitution setting out the objectives of the Community Forum and providing for membership to be open to "organisations based in Western Sydney that are controlled by community managed committees.
For the year 1984/85 the Forum, as it became known, received a CEP grant to employ a clerical worker and co-ordinator plus funds for equipment and administration costs.
The Forum has changed significantly since 1984. Funding sources now include the Department of Community Services, Department of Ageing and Disability and Home Care, and the Ministry of Transport.