In Dandenong West we’re proud of where we live and we’re proud of where we learn. Dandenong West Primary School is a community made up of over 50 nationalities. Principal Beverley Hansen suggests “this is an element that adds to the complexity of our school but it also makes it a wonderful lace to be”. Our community faces many challenges but we remain focused on and committed to supporting all students to reach their full potential. In communities like ours, this isn’t always easy but every one of our students deserves the best.
We know that families are the first and foremost educators of their children and we provide a range of opportunities for all members of our community to be involved with the school. We are particularly proud of our work to engage fathers in our school.

The 'Community Castle' was originally designed by and for male members of the Dandenong West Primary School community after a cooking class was established by the women. Our community plays host to a large number of recent immigrants who often face a series of issues when first residing in the community – including unemployment, social interaction issues and language barriers. Community groups such as the cooking class and the ‘Community Castle’ are a great way for members to interact with one another, develop new skills, become a positive role models for the children and give back to the community.

While the ‘Community Castle’ aims to deliver a free resource to anyone interested (male and female), our resources are limited and can only help so many. We want to create a thriving community hub. We want to lend one another tools and services. We want to make this school and this community the answer, whatever the question.

Our vision is to create an inspiring, safe space to encourage more men in our community to engage with us, contribute to the community, and act as positive role models for the children at our school. All funds raised will go towards the fit out of our shed, the purchase of tools and equipment, and training of those involved. The more we can raise, the more equipment we’ll be able to provide and the more support we’ll be able to give those who wish to become part of our Community Castle.

We are completely committed to seeing this Community Castle succeed. We have a space, but that’s not enough. We want to create an environment that makes our community feel proud. We want to have tools and equipment, and training and support, to enable fathers to give back to the community that welcomes them. We believe strongly in the ‘pay it forward’ philosophy and want to see our community thrive. We want to provide a hand up, not a hand out.

The greatest fear we have is that we won’t be able to see this dream become a reality. We have set an ambitious target of raising at least $7,500 to start to transform an old shed into a Community Castle. Our community knows that we’ll do all we can to make this happen – it would be disappointing if we couldn’t deliver.

We ask you to remember that a community is a group of people united around a vision or a cause. You don’t have to live in Dandenong West to understand that investing in people helping each other makes a difference and has the opportunity to change lives. Our children need more role models and our fathers want more opportunities to give back to a community that has given to them. Please help us in any way you can.