Canberra

Canberra Community

Across Canberra and the wider ACT, community participation can mean many things: joining a regular group, learning practical skills, helping with a local project, or finding support alongside people with shared experiences. The organisations below connect residents with volunteering, gardens, repair activities, youth programs, peer groups, advocacy and practical assistance. Some serve Canberra from a particular site, while others work across the Territory or surrounding regions. Their activities offer different ways to take part, contribute time and connect with community life.

There is room for both informal interests and more structured support. You might grow food at Gungaderra, repair a bicycle, join a Men’s Shed, support refugee and asylum-seeking communities, or look for assistance with transport, food or caring responsibilities. The best fit depends on the activity and any participation conditions described by the organisation.

🤝 Volunteering & Community Service

VolunteeringACT

VolunteeringACT is the peak volunteering body for the Canberra Region. Its Community Info Hub helps people access community information and volunteering opportunities, with recognition of volunteers across varied ages, abilities, cultures, genders and sexualities. It is a useful starting point for people who want to contribute locally or explore different kinds of volunteer work.

Griffin Centre, 20 Genge Street, Canberra ACT 2601. ☎ 02 6248 7988 — Community Info Hub; 02 6251 4060 — Office.

🚐 Community Transport & Practical Support

Capital Region Community Services — Community Transport

CRCS Living Well provides community transport across Canberra for older adults and people living with disability. Trips can include appointments, shopping, social activities and CRCS groups. Volunteer drivers also contribute to the service. Commonwealth Home Support Program-funded transport has age, registration and assessment conditions, while fees and availability vary.

☎ (02) 6278 8124 — Living Well team, Community Transport.

Communities at Work — Support Services

Communities at Work operates community pantries in Tuggeranong and Gungahlin, alongside a clothing program, pre-loved clothing store and crisis support. Assistance may include food and hygiene items, formal clothing for important occasions, capped medical-script or energy-bill payments, transport tickets, showers and information or referral. Appointments are available for crisis support and the clothing program.

☎ 02 6293 6500 — Support services and clothing-program appointments.

YWCA Canberra

YWCA Canberra is a feminist not-for-profit that has provided community services and represented women’s issues in Canberra since 1929. Its work includes community development, housing and homelessness, domestic and family violence, children’s services, youth services, training, women’s leadership and advocacy. The organisation’s broad program of work includes both participation opportunities and practical support.

Level 2, 71 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra City ACT 2601. ☎ (02) 6185 2000 — Central Office.

🫂 Cultural & Newcomer Connections

Canberra Refugee Support

Canberra Refugee Support is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit organisation supporting asylum seekers and refugees in the ACT. Volunteers and community contributors help build connections involving accommodation, furniture, schooling, English-language training, health care, jobs, local services and community networking. The organisation also supports mentoring and scholarships, linking practical assistance with longer-term community participation.

👥 Friendship & Shared Interests

Hawker Men’s Shed

Hawker Men’s Shed is an independent incorporated association and registered charity based at the Hawker International Softball Centre. It runs sessions for men as well as mixed sessions for men and women. Activities include repair cafés and local markets, offering practical, hands-on ways to meet others and contribute skills through shared projects.

45 Walhallow Street, Hawker ACT 2614.

🌱 Community Gardens & Local Projects

Gungaderra Community Garden

Canberra Environment Centre runs weekly community gardening sessions at Gungaderra Homestead in Harrison. Participants grow food, share gardening skills and contribute to a biodiverse garden. No gardening experience is required, and the sessions do not use individual plot allocations, so the emphasis is on working together in a shared garden rather than tending separate private plots.

Gungaderra Homestead, via Mapleton Avenue & Otway Street, Harrison ACT 2914. ☎ 0414 761 732 — Canberra Environment Centre.

Canberra Environment Centre — The Recyclery

The Recyclery is a Canberra Environment Centre activity where people can learn how bicycles work and how to repair them while contributing to Canberra’s cycling community. The centre also presents workshops and community activities focused on waste, compost, local food and active travel. It suits people interested in practical learning and environmental projects.

Gungaderra Homestead, via Mapleton Avenue & Otway Street, Harrison ACT 2914. ☎ 0455 230 183 — The Recyclery.

🧸 Youth & Family Participation

Scouts ACT

Scouts ACT supports Scout Groups, Sea Scout Groups, language Scout Groups and Rover Units across the ACT. Its youth program provides group-based participation through local units, while the branch can provide enquiries and group information. The range of group types creates options for young people and families seeking an ongoing activity built around shared participation.

89 Kitchener Street, Garran ACT 2605. ☎ 02 6282 5211 — Branch Office; 1800 726 887 — Scouts enquiries.

🧓 Older People & Carer Connection

Carers ACT

Carers ACT is the ACT peak body for unpaid carers, offering practical and emotional support, information, advocacy and connection. Regular in-person peer-support groups are held in north and south Canberra. Sessions can include facilitated discussions, creative activities, education, outings and groups for particular carer communities, giving carers opportunities to share experiences as well as access information.

193 Copland Drive, Spence ACT 2615. ☎ (02) 6296 9982 — Group Programs.

♿ Disability & Inclusion

ACT Down Syndrome & Intellectual Disability — Peer Support Groups

These peer groups support families and people with intellectual disability across the ACT and surrounding regions. Bubs & Beyond is for parents of children with intellectual disability from birth to age 12, with morning teas, park visits and social activities. Connecting Together is for adults with intellectual disability aged over 18 and includes social connection, while parent, carer and family connections are also part of the program.

☎ 02 6290 0656 — Community Resource Coordinator.

Community Connections for Inclusion

Community Connections for Inclusion is a Canberra-based non-government, charitable not-for-profit supporting people with disability to take part in community life, build independence and exercise choice and control over funded supports. It is an NDIS-registered provider for plan management, distinguishing its work from general social groups through its focus on individual support arrangements and participation.

Suite 1.3, 105 Mawson Drive, Mawson ACT 2607. ☎ 02 6296 1133 — General enquiries.

People with Disabilities ACT

People with Disabilities ACT is a not-for-profit collective voice run by people with disabilities and the ACT peak advocacy organisation for people with disability. Its work centres on advocacy, policy and collaboration in Canberra. It offers a way for people seeking disability-led representation and broader community change to connect with an organisation focused on rights and public participation.

☎ 02 6288 1144 — General enquiries.

Canberra’s community life includes practical projects, peer connection, volunteering and services that respond to particular circumstances. Residents and newcomers can choose an activity that matches their interests or seek support through the organisations whose role fits their needs. Local groups, charities, volunteer teams and community organisations with relevant Canberra or ACT activities are warmly invited to add or update their listing, helping this guide reflect the people and projects contributing across the region.

⚠️ Accuracy Note: We do our best to keep this information useful and up to date, however details can change over time. If you notice anything that appears incorrect or out of date, please let us know and we will review it. Local business owners and community leaders can also help keep local information accurate by logging in and creating or managing their own listing and useful content on canberra.guide.