Our social programs support communities in the municipalities within which we work.

2008/2009 Community programs

Community sponsorships

Family Life Open Garden Day

For 4 years Citywide has been an active supporter of the Family Life Open Garden day event. Citywide Open Space team members give informative presentations to Bayside locals on native plants and hot tips for caring for caring for your garden in difficult drought conditions. With all money raised going to Family Life, a not-for-profit community group supporting Bayside families at risk, this popular annual event allows people to see some beautiful and unique gardens, and learn the practices employed by their owners to keep them looking good.

Uniting Care Connections

Connections is a community welfare agency of the Uniting Church’s UnitingCare network in Australia, supporting children, young people, families and couples in need throughout Melbourne’s eastern and southern suburbs. Last year Citywide supported the development of Connection’s Community Veggie Patch Project, which turned a neglected garden in the Melbourne suburb of Croydon into a veggie grower’s paradise. The aim of the patch was to promote healthy eating in the local community.

In the coming year Citywide will be working closely with Connections to further develop this relationship with the hope of developing a long term sustainable partnership between the two organisations.

Community training and education programs

Friends of Bayside

Every year the Citywide team at the Bayside Community Nursery hold a number of training sessions for local volunteers and friends groups in the local area. Ranging in length from an hour to a full day, this year’s activities included a tour of local indigenous gardens, a day trip to Healesville Sanctuary and a training session at Braeside Park. The Citywide nursery runs on average 8 working bees a month with the help of approximately 60 volunteers. Activities include seed sorting, propagation and seed collection.

Citywide’s Bushland crew also run approximately 23 working bees a month with the help of an impressive 100 volunteers per month. Activities range from revegetation works, hand weeding to seed collection. The Bushland crew also run many programs with local secondary schools including St Leonard’s, Sandringham Secondary College and a number of local primary schools.

National Tree Planting Day

Each year Citywide bushland and nursery teams take part in National Tree Day activities throughout the communities in which we operate. This year Citywide held a number of planting days, including a joint planting day with the City of Whittlesea in which Citywide employees worked with volunteers and community members to plant over 2000 seedlings. Citywide were also the major sponsor of the City of Bayside’s tree planting day which coincided with the National Tree Planting Day for 2009. The annual event sees community members return natural flora and fauna to the foreshore dunes of Sandringham. Each year Citywide’s expert horticulturalists work with the help of around 70 volunteers to complete the plantings, providing knowledge and advice on indigenous flora and fauna. It’s a great way for local community members to learn more about gardening and natural heritage while meeting like-minded people.

Waste Education

Citywide provides Waste Education Consultancy services to the Cities of Melbourne and Manningham under our Waste Management Service Contracts.

The  2009/10 Waste Education Strategy developed for the City of Melbourne focuses on improving recycling rates in high-rise apartments, multi-level apartments, detached houses, schools/universities and on going promotions and campaigns.

Citywide support the City of Melbourne Schools Environmental Network and provides ongoing professional development opportunities, and investigates development of a program to include university students in teacher development and support.