Semi Finalist Site Visit: Chain Reaction

In 2025, Impact100 Sydney sought grant applications from charities undertaking activities to promote social cohesion in the Greater Sydney region. We received 64 applications from across Sydney, and nine have been selected to proceed to the semi-finalist stage.

This stage of the process involves the provision of additional information by the shortlisted organisations, and the participation in a virtual site visit that is open to all Impact100 Sydney 2025 donors to attend.

Site visits present a terrific opportunity for organisations to bring to life their grant application, for you to meet key people in the organisation and ask questions that help clarify the program being pitched.

Chain Reaction Foundation

Chain Reaction Foundation has been a beacon of hope in Mt Druitt for over 20 years, working in one of Western Sydney's most under-resourced regions where young people face alarming rates of school refusal, unemployment, youth crime, and intergenerational trauma. Led by Executive Director Rumbi Mabambe and founded by Margaret Bell AM, the organisation provides trauma-informed support to young people aged 10-17 through their flagship Mt Druitt Learning Ground program, which offers a safe space where participants attend one day a week to build emotional regulation, social skills, and confidence.

The organisation's programs have been academically proven to support school engagement and long-term resilience, with their school-based version (Learning Ground in School) independently evaluated by Western Sydney University as delivering clinically significant gains in student wellbeing and emotional regulation. They also offer a Family Skills Program providing free workshops for parents and carers, recognising that supporting young people requires a whole-of-community approach.

A $100,000 grant from IMPACT100 Sydney would enable Chain Reaction to relaunch their Youth Activities Program (YAP), a Friday night initiative providing safe, supervised activities for at-risk youth. The funding would support staffing, food, transport, and activity costs for 35 weeks annually, reaching up to 25 participants each week. In a community where public spaces are limited and often unsafe after dark, YAP offers structured activities including sports, gardening, creative workshops, and shared meals. The program builds on the organisation's deep trust within the community - when they open their doors, young people come not because they have to, but because they feel safe, seen, and welcomed.