The NSW Government has today announced the 103 community and faith organisations who were successful in securing grants through the Safe Places for Faith Communities Program.
The selected organisations will share in $5 million of grants to ensure the places where faith communities gather and practice remain safe.
The Greek Herald understands the Hellenic Orthodox Community of Parramatta and Districts has received a government grant of $243,500 for a security upgrade.
The Safe Places for Faith Communities Program takes a resilience-based approach to safety and security by supporting prevention, preparedness, response and recovery measures at places where faith communities gather.
Funds from this program will go towards upgrading security and surveillance systems, as well as initiatives such as managing challenging behaviour training and multi-faith grief support.
The program is a NSW Government election commitment and is part of a wider $15 million pledge over four years. It was developed in consultation with faith and religious groups and experts across the state, as well as Multicultural NSW’s Community Resilience and Response Plan (COMPLAN) Committee.
“The NSW Government is proud to be delivering on our election commitment and we know these projects will deliver real, tangible benefits for faith communities across NSW,” NSW Minister for Multiculturalism Steve Kamper said.
Chair of NSW Faith Affairs Council Michael Stead added, “As faith leaders across NSW, we are very thankful that the NSW Government has listened to our requests to improve the safety and security of our places of worship.”
For more information on the program, please visit: Safe Places for Faith Communities Program – Multicultural NSW
