Yarra Trams announces 2023 community partners

Yarra Trams has today announced the six community organisations to take part in its annual Yarra Trams Community Partnerships Program (YTCPP), that allows selected community organisations the opportunity to ‘wrap’ one of Melbourne’s iconic trams in their advertising. Since 2018, Yarra Trams has provided in-kind advertising to social enterprises to help promote the impressive work they do in the community.

The theme for the 2023 program is ‘Building a Resilient and Sustainable Melbourne’, with participants supporting Victoria’s natural environment, as well as organisations working to improve employment security of disadvantaged and at-risk communities.

Twelve organisations were short listed to submit an Expression of Interest. A panel of business, government, and community leaders then assessed the strength of the EOIs, including the proposed campaigns and the positive impact the organisations would make within the community across the city.

The six community organisations whose message will be seen on the world’s largest tram network in 2023 are:

• Yarra Riverkeeper, who will run a campaign headlined “Love, Protect and Connect with your Yarra, Birrarung” to capture the feeling and essence of the Riverkeepers, while providing the opportunity for individual action.
• SisterWorks will use their tram to campaign for the recruitment of migrant, refugee, and asylum seeker women to receive education and training, and to engage and create awareness for new supporters and philanthropists.
• Oz Harvest, who will post a call to action on the tram for Melbournians to fight food waste in the home.
• Asylum Seeker’s Resource Centre will use the phrase “it’s not charity, it’s a chance” to highlight people seeking asylum don’t want handouts, they want a hand up and access to economic opportunity.
• Conservation Volunteers will encourage Australians to develop ‘nature blocks’ to bring wildlife to local neighbourhoods, be it on a balcony, nature strip, back yard, or community garden.
• Yarra Energy Foundation will focus on developing “net-zero neighbourhoods” with community batteries storing and sharing renewable energy.

The first tram on the network will launch in late December 2022 and will be from Yarra Riverkeeper. Each of the wrapped trams will operate on the network over approximately four months during 2022-2023.

Quotes attributable to the Victorian Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll:

“Melbourne’s tram network is a key part of our transport network and an iconic part of our city and I’m pleased to see this program continue to support community organisations every year in the work they do.”

Quotes attributable to Yarra Trams’ Chief Executive Julien Dehornoy:

“Melbourne is blessed to have so many incredible social enterprises and not-for-profits that work hard every day to improve the lives of Victorians.

“Selecting just six organisations to partner with every year is incredibly difficult, but we are delighted to highlight the selfless work of our 2023 partners that align with Yarra Trams’ values and are making Melbourne a better, fairer, and more sustainable place in which to live and work.”