Celebrating Impact: Remembering Past Grant Recipients of the Anna Wearne Trust.
For over twenty-five years the Anna Wearne Trust has supported individuals and organisations who are working to improve access to education and community participation.
Through scholarships, micro-grants, and program funding, the Trust has helped young people overcome barriers, empowered First Nations leadership, strengthened refugee support, and built creative and inclusive communities.
Below, we highlight some of the inspiring recipients whose work reflects the Trust’s enduring legacy of opportunity, learning, and social inclusion.
Empowering Education and Employment Pathways
The Social Studio (Dandenong)
The Social Studio is a Melbourne-based social enterprise empowering young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds through education and employment in fashion and the creative industries. Combining accredited training with real-world experience in ethical manufacturing and retail, The Social Studio promotes sustainability, inclusion, and community connection.
Brotherhood of St Laurence — Student Support
Support from the Anna Wearne Trust has contributed to the Brotherhood of St Laurence’s student support initiatives, assisting young people facing disadvantage to access education, training, and employment. These programs help build confidence, skills, and pathways out of poverty.
The Pavilion School — “Changing Gears” Program (Banyule Community Health Service)
Through Banyule Community Health, the Trust supported Changing Gears, a Pavilion School program helping re-engage students who have faced barriers to mainstream education. The initiative combines hands-on learning, mentoring, and wellbeing support, creating pathways to further study and work.
Homework Club – Carlton Flats
Longstanding support from the Anna Wearne Trust for the Carlton Flats Homework Club led to the creation of the ACF Homework Club Partnership Fund, expanding opportunities for local homework clubs and learning programs across Victoria. This sustained investment demonstrated the ripple effect of community-based educational support.
Schools Scholarship Programs
Scholarships funded through the Anna Wearne Trust provide essential financial assistance and learning opportunities to secondary students, helping them overcome educational barriers and achieve their potential.
Supporting First Nations Leadership and Learning
Weenthunga Health Network — Student Scholarship
An Aboriginal-led organisation, Weenthunga Health Network fosters culturally safe pathways into the health workforce. Through programs like the Koori OT Scholarship, the Trust has supported First Nations students—particularly women—to thrive in their studies and build careers in healthcare.
Gunawirra — Aboriginal Education and Teacher Training
Gunawirra’s work with First Nations families and educators focuses on early childhood wellbeing, cultural pride, and healing. Support from the Anna Wearne Trust helped expand programs that strengthen families and equip educators with culturally informed training tools.
Australian Medical Association — Indigenous Medical Scholarship
Contributions from the Trust have helped provide financial support and mentoring to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical students, empowering future doctors to serve their communities and improve health outcomes.
Koorie Heritage Trust — Youth Cultural Engagement
The Trust has supported the Trust’s youth engagement programs, which connect young people with their culture, heritage, and community through creative and educational initiatives.
Building Confidence Through Community and Creativity
BackTrack Youth Works — “BackTrack Runners”
Based in regional NSW, BackTrack helps young people reconnect with education and community through mentoring, skill-building, and teamwork. Funding for the BackTrack Runners program provided essential equipment and resources, fostering resilience and belonging.
Mittagundi Outdoor Education
With early fundraising support from the Anna Wearne family, Mittagundi offers outdoor programs that build confidence, leadership, and teamwork for young people facing personal challenges.
Circus Oz and Other Community Arts Projects
Support for Circus Oz and similar arts organisations has enabled inclusive creative programs that promote participation, cultural engagement, and community connection.
Creating Pathways for Refugees and New Migrants
AMES Australia
Through partnerships with refugee support networks, AMES Australia helps newcomers settle, learn English, and access employment. Anna Wearne Trust support has contributed to programs promoting confidence, independence, and social participation.
Foundation House — Scholarships for Refugee Students
Foundation House (Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture) provides therapeutic and educational support for refugees and asylum seekers. The Trust’s contribution to scholarships has helped students continue their education and rebuild their lives after trauma.
Targeted Individual Support
Micro-Grants and Student Scholarships
Over the years, the Trust has awarded numerous small grants to individual students and community members. These micro-grants help cover costs such as laptops, transport, course fees, and training resources—removing barriers to participation and enabling continued education and development.
Community Sports Inclusion Grants
Funding for sports uniforms, equipment, and safety gear has supported refugee and First Nations youth teams, promoting inclusion, wellbeing, and community connection through sport.
The Anna Wearne Trust’s story is one of steady, hands-on support—meeting people where they are and helping them move forward.
From scholarships to micro-grants, from arts programs to health initiatives, the Trust’s contributions have empowered individuals, strengthened communities, and created opportunities for learning and belonging that continue to make a difference today.