This page has information about the places in the Woodville ward in the south of Parramatta Local Government Area (LGA).
The Woodville ward includes (in whole or in part) the suburbs of Granville, South Granville, Guildford, Merrylands, Clyde and Chester Hill.
In many ways each of these suburbs is a distinct neighbourhood, with its own history, character and communities. Council wishes to build on the strengths of these unique ’places‘ and is keen to develop a “portrait” of each place with the involvement and contribution of the local community.
We invite your comments, ideas or information to be potentially included. This could be in the form of information on local events, local community groups, stories and memories that celebrate pride in your neighbourhoods
Fairs, festivals, street parties, performances, forums, exhibitions and all kinds of community events are important ways we come together in our communities.
Your ideas for creating community spirit projects in your place are always welcome. Use the "Let us know" form
The level of community spirit in a community, builds opportunities for communication between residents, focussing on similarities rather than divisions within a community. Council has endorsed important initiatives to build community spirit in order to promote more supportive, connected and safer neighbourhoods by encouraging residents to get to know their neighbours and to show pride in the area in which they live.
Building local pride in a community supports the community to be involved in issues, activities and assets which can lead to local advocacy and community action on locally-identified needs.
Your ideas for creating community spirit projects in your place are always welcome, and we are also seeking out some examples – stories – where real ‘community spirit’ arises from our local communities. Use the "Let us know form"
The Community Capacity Building (CCB) model is about building long term, lasting partnerships between Council, other services and local residents.
Your ideas for possible partnership opportunities in your place are always welcome, and we are also seeking out some examples where partnerships in the community have made a difference.
Use our "Let us know" form to submit your ideas and proposals.
Council’s Community Place Development Officer for the South in partnership with Granville Multicultural Community Centre is setting up a place-based network for South Granville. The first meeting took place on Monday 27th August 2007.
A diverse range of service providers are invited to join the Place-based network including health, housing, police and education to explore opportunities for partnerships that focus on the neighbourhood of South Granville. The Network will build on and acknowledge the existing abilities or capacity and strengths of community partners connected to the community of South Granville.
The Network will work closely with the South Granville Neighbourhood Group that includes residents. The Network will support this group to identify and run local activities and programs.
For more information of the South Granville Place-based Network, please contact:
Soraia Rocha e Sousa
Community Place Development Officer – South
Phone: 9806 5104
Email: srochaesousa@parracity.nsw.gov.au
The Community Capacity Building (CCB) model aims to establish and maintain connections between community members, community groups and organisations to help address local issues. The CCB model also aims to increase the capacity or ability of new and emerging groups to identify and respond to local issues. One such group in the South is the Ma’di Ethnic Community Welfare Association (M.E.C.W.A.). This Association was formed by a group of recently arrived refugees from Sudan and now has over 300 members who reside in Western Sydney.
The Community Place Development Officer (South) first made contact with this group through the Journeys of the Spirit exhibition held at the Heritage Centre, Parramatta in 2006. This exhibition told the stories of refugees and the journeys they had experienced in coming to Australia.
One of the key priorities of the Ma’di Ethnic Community Welfare Association was to find a venue to rehearse traditional cultural dances and hold language classes for their children who, having now moved to Australia, were not using the Ma’di language. And of course, finding a venue meant finding an organisation who would auspice them! And this is how Granville Multicultural Community Centre (GMCC) became involved!
M.E.C.W.A. is now being auspiced by GMCC, who is also mentoring the group to achieve the priority project they had identified. A Council venue has found for the Association to work in and M.E.C.W.A. has now been successful in its application to use this Council-owned facility.
The Association, having formed a partnership with GMCC and being mentored by this leading not-for-profit, organisation, applied to Council’s 2007 Community Grants Program to start programs and activities for the Ma’di community. They were successful and have received two grants.
Continuing to build partnerships and be supported by the Community Place Development Officer (South), the Association will now host a Ma’di Cultural Awareness Day on Thursday 11th October at Granville Town Hall to share with community workers and government officers their history, their journey to Australia, settlement issues as well as enjoy traditional dance, artefacts and food.
The Ma’di Community Welfare Association can be contacted through the Chairperson,
Email: mecwansw@yahoo.com.au
Post: PO Box 885, Guildford, 2160
search the community information database to find information about local services and community groups.
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