The Shopping Centre Council of Australia (SCCA) has presented $5,000 to Sudbury House in Mirrabooka, Western Australia, to assist the charity continue to provide essential support services to the local and diverse community.

Sudbury House was selected by the team at The Square Mirrabooka, owned by Fawkner Property and managed by CBRE. The team recently won the Community (medium) category at the SCCA’s Annual Marketing Awards for their innovative ‘NAIDOC Community Fashion Showcase’ project and were able to select a charity to benefit from the funding as part of the prize.

The Square Mirrabooka’s ‘NAIDOC Community Fashion Showcase’ acknowledged and celebrated local Indigenous culture and heritage through fashion design and production, art workshops and musical performances, all which captivated the SCCA Marketing Awards judges, and led to the centre being awarded the coveted prize.

The ‘NAIDOC Community Fashion Showcase’ began with the Silk Art Project in collaboration with Sudbury House and First Nations Artist Peter Farmer. Over a seven-month period, 167 at-risk-youths, children in care, Aboriginal and CALD people, families facing homelessness, the elderly, volunteers, the unemployed, and the socially isolated were engaged in the project, jointly producing an artwork symbolising unity.

As part of the project, confidence-building workshops led by First Nations woman Miranda Farmer, were held to assist build self-confidence and self-esteem for 22 First Nations youth, with a grand NAIDOC Runway Event finale held to showcase and celebrate local indigenous talent and artwork.

Kirby Rogers, Business and Operations Manager at SCCA said: “Shopping centres play an important role in our communities and the SCCA is proud to highlight innovative campaigns such as The Square Mirrabooka’s ‘NAIDOC Community Fashion Showcase’.

“Through the SCCA’s Annual Marketing Awards, we provide four $5,000 grants each year to winners in our Community categories. We are pleased to present $5,000 to Sudbury House, selected by The Square Mirrabooka, so they can continue to provide valuable support and assistance to those in the Mirrabooka community,” she said.

The Square Mirrabooka is owned by Fawkner Property and managed by CBRE

Gracen Steinepreis, Marketing Manager at The Square Mirrabooka said: “Community is at the heart of what we do at The Square Mirrabooka. Partnering with charity groups like Sudbury House is essential to uplifting the most vulnerable members of our community and creating a safe place for all people that visit the shopping Centre. We are honoured to have been acknowledged by The Shopping Centre Council of Australia for our annual NAIDOC Showcase and the contributions of all those involved.”

Mike Dixon, CEO of Sudbury House said: “For almost 37 years, Sudbury House has been a vital and responsive neighbourhood hub supporting our Mirrabooka community connect, create and achieve. Thanks and gratitude are extended to the Shopping Centre Council of Australia and The Square Mirrabooka for their collaboration and generous contribution – Your support allows Sudbury House to continue providing essential community services which benefit children, youth and families most in need.”