The Wyndham Anti-racism Support Network (WASN) was established in response to the findings of the research report, ‘All in this together: A community -led response to racism for the City of Wyndham.’ This report showed practical ways that reporting, and support services could be tailored to the specific needs of the city’s diverse communities. At the centre of the roadmap is a three-tiered, community-led anti-racism local support network comprised of first-contact organisations, specialised support services, and Wyndham Community and Education Centre as the coordinating centre. One of our key aims is to upskill local community organisations to become the first port of call supports for people experiencing racism, to help more people speak out, access services, and put the incidents on the record. Ultimately our vision is to eliminate racism in the City of Wyndham.  

So far, we have twelve groups and organisations from around Wyndham in the network with more people contacting us weekly. Our activities include regular meetings, a community newsletter, workshops on reporting racism, and connecting people to one another for their activities.  We aim by the end of the year that all of the first-tier reporting organisations will have clear and consistent ways to support and refer people who experience racist incidents in appropriate and effective ways. This may include providing assistance with formal reporting to police, using online reporting tools, as well accessing emotional and psychological support. As the coordinating centre, Wyndham CEC will also maintain a register of racist incidents. This data will identify any trends in incidents and inform if other actions may need to take place to highlight an issue and change behaviour.