The last in-person help session for Brimbank community grants of up to $15,000 before the Sunday deadline runs at St Albans Community Centre on Thursday 11 June – and anyone with a project that benefits the neighbourhood can walk straight in.
Brimbank’s 2025–2026 Community Grants Program funds one-off projects, festivals and events across the municipality. Medium and Large Grant applications close Sunday 14 June, making this session the final listed chance to sit down with council staff before the bigger funding categories expire. Small Grants (up to $3,000) remain open all year, but anyone hoping for a share of the $10,000 or $15,000 pools needs to act this weekend.
Council staff will be in the Arts and Craft Room at 33 Princess Street, St Albans from 11am to midday. The drop-in is free, no booking is needed, and they can talk you through eligibility, budgets and the online application form. If you cannot make it, email [email protected] or call 9249 4036 for the same advice before Sunday.
A 2026 review of the Community Grants Policy found most respondents felt the updated categories made the program more inclusive, fair and equal. That shift shows in the kind of projects recently funded. A $9,500 grant helped run the CommUnity Table in St Albans, serving meals and connecting refugees and asylum seekers with vital services. Another $6,600 went to a Vietnamese dementia support program in Deer Park, delivering culturally tailored care to elders. Art therapy programs in Sunshine and mental health projects for PNG women in the west have also received backing.
The program is not only for large not-for-profits. Individuals and tiny community groups can apply, provided the project addresses a clear local need and benefits Brimbank residents. The 2025–2026 guidelines have been streamlined to make matching a project to the right funding tier simpler than in previous years.
St Albans railway station is an easy walk under ten minutes to the centre; multiple bus routes also stop nearby. Drivers should expect limited parking at the community centre itself. If you are heading down, Main Road West cafes are a short stroll away for a coffee before or after the session.
Translated information about the grants is available through council channels, and the policy is updated every four years. Even if the 14 June deadline feels too tight, Small Grants remain open year-round with three assessment rounds, so there is always another way to get a neighbourhood idea off the ground.
Quick Facts
Brimbank City Council
Local government authority responsible for the City of Brimbank in Melbourne’s western suburbs. It delivers community services, grants programs, parks, libraries and infrastructure for a diverse population including significant multicultural communities.