Built on trust

The west of Melbourne is one of the fastest growing regions in Australia — rich in diversity, community and opportunity, but also facing significant social and economic pressures as its population expands rapidly.

In communities changing this quickly, trusted local institutions matter. 

For decades, VU and the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation have worked in — and alongside — communities across the west. 

Today, the partnership supports programs spanning health, leadership, inclusion and education, creating pathways for local young people both inside and outside the classroom. 

“The west is incredibly diverse. Incredibly resilient,” says Hannah Singleton, General Manager of the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation (WBCF). “There’s so much strength here that doesn’t always get recognised.”

Creating a safe space

Operating from Whitten Oval in Footscray, the Foundation delivers hundreds of community programs each year across Melbourne’s west and regional Victoria. 

“The programs that we run are really about empowering our communities to become agents of change in their own communities,” Hannah shares. 

“It’s a bit of a Trojan horse,” Hannah reflects. “We might bring people in because of the Bulldogs, but once they’re there, we can have deeper conversations about health, leadership, gender equity.”

The familiarity with the Bulldogs helps create environments where people feel comfortable participating — including communities that can sometimes be harder to reach through traditional services or institutions. 

How do you talk to a group of older men about healthy masculinity?” she asks. “We’ve been doing that for years — and we can, because we’ve created a safe space through the club.

For newly arrived migrants involved in the Team Up program, sport is often a gateway into community life. “They might not know anything about footy, but they trust the environment,” Hannah says, pointing to the 350 students from Western English Language School who participated in the program in 2025. 

In the same year, more than 860 secondary students also participated in the Foundation’s Schools Program, supported co-designed and delivered in partnership with VU. Through workshops focused on leadership, mental health, social impact, intercultural understanding and employment readiness, the program helps young people build confidence and see new possibilities for their future.

70 student placements in 2025

Beyond school programs, the partnership also creates opportunities for VU students to gain hands-on experience in community settings. 

In 2025, over 70 VU students undertook placements with the Foundation across multiple disciplines, contributing directly to workshops, mentoring and community programs. 

“They bring lived experience,” Hannah says. “Many of our students are from the west themselves.” “When participants see someone just a few years older who shares their background, that is just a game changer. They start to think: I could be like them.” 

Jessica Harrington, Account Coordinator, Major Partnerships at VU, sees the benefits of VU student placements firsthand. 

“The Foundation understand the student cohort coming through. They provide a really safe learning space for them,” she says. 

“They’re in the room, making an impact. It gives them confidence, exposure and a real understanding of community work: something you can’t replicate in a classroom.” 

For some students, placement leads to employment.

WBCF has developed employment pathways allowing students to continue working with the organisation after their studies. 

Seven VU graduates secured employment with the Foundation in 2025. 

Closer connections with communities

The partnership has also created opportunities for closer collaboration between research and practice. “It changed the way I think,” Hannah says. 

“The conversations we were having with researchers has shaped how we measure our work, and how we better understand our communities.” 

But as Hannah points out, some of the most important outcomes are difficult to measure. “Connection. Belonging. The confidence to speak up,” she says. 

“You see it in the room; the smiles, the conversations.” As the partnership continues to evolve, both organisations remain focused on the communities that shaped them. 

“There’s never a sense of ‘that won’t work,’” says Jessica. “It’s always, ‘how could we make this work?” “There’s always something new,” Hannah agrees. 

“Because both organisations are so embedded in the community, the opportunities don’t run out.