Cessnock Leagues Club proudly distributed $95,066 among 23 deserving organisations at its 2025 ClubGRANTS presentation, celebrating local initiatives that make a real difference in our community.

The ClubGRANTS Category 1 program funds projects, services and programs that benefit the local community, such as welfare and social services, community development, health services and employment assistance.

The grant recipients were announced at a presentation at Cessnock Leagues Club on Tuesday, August 19. This year’s recipients and their programs included:

  • The Rotary Club of Cessnock: $2,500 to help provide a free BBQ for the children who attend PCYC Cessnock’s U-Nites program, every Friday night.
  • The Rotary Club of Cessnock: $8,000 to help provide free breakfast and lunch one day a week to the homeless, needy and vulnerable in the Cessnock LGA.
  • Kurri Kurri Community Services: $3,435 to deliver the Pit Stop For Youth health promotion program to Year 9 students from Cessnock, Kurri Kurri and Mount View High Schools.
  • Carrie’s Place: $4,000 to help deliver the Cessnock Assertive Outreach Homelessness Support program, providing support to individuals and families in the Cessnock and Kurri Kurri areas who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
  • Hunter Food Relief Centre: $1,000 towards the purchase of sustainable food containers for those less fortunate in the Cessnock LGA.
  • SHINE for Kids: $2,500 to the Connecting Kids Program, supporting children from the Cessnock LGA with a parent in prison.
  • We Care Connect: $5,000 to provide essential care packs for 200 young people affected by family violence and homelessness.
  • Girls Who Roar: $5,000 to deliver a 6-week online empowerment program to local teenage girls from low socio-economic backgrounds.
  • Kiray Putjung Aboriginal Corporation: $800 towards ‘Wellbeing Sistas’, cultural wellbeing workshops for Aboriginal women who have experienced domestic violence or other trauma.
  • Cessnock Family Support Service: $1,929 for resources to support the initiatives of the Cessnock Domestic and Family Violence Network.
  • Prostate Survival Alliance Inc: $3,000 to provide free information and counselling services to locals affected by prostate cancer.
  • Newcastle Rugby League: $2,500 towards educating under-19s players on mental health and mental fitness through the Gotcha 4 Life Foundation.
  • Friends of Palliative Care: $5,000 to support people receiving end-of-life care in our community.
  • St Vincent de Paul Society NSW: $5,000 to deliver crisis support programs for individuals and families in the Cessnock LGA.
  • Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect): $4001.65 to provide literacy resources for students on the Autism Spectrum who attend the Aspect Hunter School Classroom in Abermain.
  • PCYC Cessnock: $5,000 to provide subsidised school holiday passes for PCYC Cessnock’s rock climbing program.
  • Clontarf Foundation: $4,000 to engage and support young Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander men to complete school and transition into employment or study.
  • Northern NSW Helicopter Rescue Service: $5,750 to support a local mission of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.
  • Little Wings Limited: $10,000 towards flights to Cessnock Airport for children from rural, remote and regional NSW requiring treatment at the John Hunter Children’s Hospital.
  • Family of League Foundation: $2,500 towards wellbeing support for the men, women and children of the Rugby League community.
  • Samaritans: $2,500 towards Samaritans Disaster Recovery Hunter Region, delivering practical care to individuals and communities affected by major emergencies.
  • Sunnyfield: $4,000 to upgrade Sunnyfield’s sensory room, creating a supportive and engaging environment that meets the diverse sensory needs of participants.
  • Mark Hughes Foundation: $5,000 towards Brain Cancer Patient Packs, providing essential support, information and a sense of community to people with brain cancer across Australia.
  • Cessnock City Council: $2,650 to conduct the ‘Resilient Cessnock Businesses Workshop’, a tailored one-day workshop focused on natural disaster preparedness, readiness, resilience, and recovery.

Cessnock Hospitality Group president Bruce Wilson said the club was proud to support these organisations to continue to provide their essential services.

“Every day in the print and electronic media we hear the words about the cost of living problems and Australians doing it tough,” Mr Wilson said.

“While the solutions rest with governments there are organisations like the club movement that continue to help out those in need who provide great relief in a significant way.

“The list of recipients shows just how these organisations are providing essential services in a wide variety of ways.

“Congratulations to all concerned and may they continue their wonderful work; you are greatly appreciated.”

Girls Who Roar founder Barbara Cowley spoke on behalf of the recipients, thanking Cessnock Leagues Club for its generous support.

“The funding granted to each of our missions is more than just financial help — it’s a clear message to every one of us doing grassroots work in the community: what we’re doing matters, and we are not alone in our work,” she said.

Girls Who Roar was established in 2024 and received ClubGRANTS funding to deliver its online empowerment program to 50 teenage girls from low socio-economic and/or Indigenous backgrounds within Cessnock’s local public high schools.

“Our program creates a safe, supportive space where girls learn to embrace who they are. We help them build relationships rooted in honesty, respect, and empathy. We teach that being kind doesn’t mean being quiet, that courage comes in many forms, and that their voices deserve to be heard.

“Your support not just this morning, but in the months to come helps us ensure that cost is never a barrier. Through our sponsorship program and your support, we can provide full access to Girls Who Roar for teens who might otherwise miss out.

“Sponsorship isn’t just paying for a program — it’s giving a girl belief in herself, tools for her wellbeing, and a community that tells her she matters.”

Member for Cessnock, Clayton Barr paid tribute to the recipients for their hard work, dedication and community spirit.

“This presentation is a reminder of the great things that are happening in our community,” he said.

“The work that these organisations do give me great joy and fills me with pride.

“I’d also like to recognise the role that Cessnock Leagues Club, and clubs in general across the state, play in their communities.”

The Cessnock LGA ClubGRANTS 2025 Program – which also includes ECBC Sports, Kurri Kurri Bowling Club, Greta Workers Club and Weston Workers Club – handed out a total of $225,331 across 38 projects.

Next year’s ClubGRANTS Fund will open on February 1, 2026. Find out more at https://www.cessnockleagues.com.au/the-club/community-support/