Our story Done

Where we are now

SydWest Multicultural Services supports people across western and inner-western Sydney to settle, age well, live independently with a disability, and find their place in the community. Our team is bilingual, our offices are local, and our services are shaped by the people who use them.

In 2023, SydWest joined with Participate Australia — bringing together two long-established not-for-profits and a combined history that goes back to 1983.

The Participate Australia heritage

Participate Australia's roots go back to 1983, when a group of parents of children with disability formed a support group at the then Grosvenor Hospital in Summer Hill. Their goal was simple: see children with disabilities included in mainstream day care and preschool. Registered as a charity in 1985 as Family Resource and Network Support (FRANS), the organisation grew steadily over the next four decades.

The early years (1983 – 1995)

The first vacation-care program for children opened in 1986 — School Holiday Activities remain a cornerstone service today. In 1991, FRANS received Commonwealth Home and Community Care (HACC) funding for a pilot 'Respite Options' program. By 1995, a restructure introduced 'Service Teams' to coordinate delivery across a growing range of programs.

Building the service model (1996 – 2010)

The late 1990s brought a closer alignment with government programs and funding structures, the legacy of which can still be seen in the organisation today. FRANS became a 'Post School Options' provider in 1997, and a designated provider for Inner West Carer Respite brokerage in 1999. The early 2000s formalised key program areas — Community Access for children, teens and adults; Inclusion programs; and Individual Respite — and saw the launch of inclusive resources like the Everyone Can Play manual.

Becoming Participate Australia (2017)

In March 2017, FRANS changed its name to Participate Australia Limited — a name chosen to reflect a focus on human rights and self-direction, and the kind of organisation it wanted to be.

Joining SydWest (2023)

In 2023, Participate Australia merged with SydWest Multicultural Services. The combined organisation brings together specialist disability support with multicultural settlement, aged care, youth, and family services — under one roof, across more locations.

What hasn't changed

The detail of what we offer has grown over the decades, but the heart of it hasn't. We work with people from diverse backgrounds, in their language, in their community — to help them live the lives they want.