In June 2025, members of Balwyn Rotary visited SisterWorks’ Springvale facility to explore ways the Club could support the organisation’s vital work empowering women from migrant, refugee, and asylum-seeker backgrounds. The visit highlighted an opportunity to make a tangible impact by funding essential equipment upgrades to improve capacity, productivity, and workplace safety.
When SisterWorks identified an urgent need for a new combi-oven to support its Crafted Culture catering and hospitality enterprise — which provides training and employment pathways for women — Balwyn Rotary stepped up. The oven was critical to meet growing catering demand, including a major event for the Scanlon Foundation’s Australian Social Cohesion Summit, serving 400 guests.
Thanks to a $14,000 grant from Balwyn Rotary, funded through proceeds from the Camberwell Sunday Market, the project became a reality. The Club sourced a high-quality second-hand combi-oven that has boosted kitchen production capacity by 250%. The upgraded equipment is now powering Crafted Culture’s operations and expanding hands-on training opportunities for women preparing to enter the workforce.
This partnership showcases the lasting difference Rotary can make when community engagement and fundraising come together with purpose. By supporting SisterWorks, Balwyn Rotary is helping to:
Together, Balwyn Rotary and SisterWorks are proving that when communities collaborate, everyone benefits.
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