Arabic version: مركز المجتمع يؤمن مستقبله من خلال عائدات مبيعات الفن

A community centre in the Illawarra region of New South Wales has secured its future through donations from a charity art exhibition held at Sydney’s Botanic Garden. The exhibition showcased works from celebrated Australian artists alongside pieces created by children who benefit from the centre’s support services. According to ABC News, the final cheque from the exhibition amounted to $65,000 and could increase as some artworks remain unsold.

The Bundaleer Community Centre, operated by Barnardos, provides essential services to local families, including breakfast and art classes. Jenna Dufty, a former resident who turned her life around with the help of the centre, emphasized its importance, stating, “If this place wasn’t here, a lot of people would go without.”

The demand for Bundaleer’s services has surged due to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, with the centre’s food distribution program seeing a five-fold increase from 2024 to 2025. Centre manager Melissa Andrews noted that the organization operates on a minuscule budget and faces intense competition for funding.

The funds raised from the art exhibition will not only help sustain the centre’s current programs but will also allow for an increase in staff numbers. Andrews expressed gratitude for the generosity of the artists who contributed to the cause, saying, “It’s incredibly special and quite overwhelming to see how generous the artists were for a community they don’t know.”