Over the brief break between parliamentary sittings, I had the pleasure of attending a number of community events in my great electorate of Banks. I'd like to take the opportunity to acknowledge some of the amazing groups and leaders this evening.

St George AFC is Southern Sydney's premier AFL club, and their presentation night on Saturday was a fantastic celebration of grassroots sports. The night included a special celebration of Stephen 'Willo' Wilsen, who this year broke the club's record for most games played with his 382nd game over 24 seasons. Like so many sporting clubs, St George AFC is powered by volunteers, and I send my thanks and huge congratulations to the club's president, Angie Zissis, and the vice president, Dale Widders. Congratulations again, Willo, for your huge milestone. I look forward to seeing St George go from strength to strength with their new facility at Olds Park next season in this new Sydney Football League competition.

After a significant period of construction, it was great to attend the reopening of Penshurst Mosque, established by the Australian Islamic Society of Bosnia Herzegovina. The mosque was first built in 1989 by the Australian-Bosnian community and served the needs of that local community for more than 30 years. The new mosque will be a hub for community life, supporting charitable initiatives, hosting cultural celebrations and promoting intercultural understanding. Congratulations to President Sanel Begic and the whole Australian Islamic Society of Bosnia Herzegovina on the fulfilment of a long-held vision for their community.

Over the weekend I also had the privilege of visiting a pair of local organisations who have found practical ways to serve our local community. On Saturday I visited Linda Pritchard and the ladies of Knit2gether, who convene at the Oatley Uniting Church once a month to socialise, knit and crochet, with items donated to local charities and distributed to those in need. They have also sent a package of their thoughtful knitted items to those in need in Ukraine and Nepal. On Sunday, I visited the Revesby Uniting Church for the launch of their rivergum community pantry initiative, which offers free and dignified access to food and essentials for those in need.

Each of the organisations I have spoken about so far is made possible by the efforts of volunteers and the generosity of the local community, and supporting organisations like this is so important. It is why I am so pleased that more than $66,000 in federal grant funding through the volunteer grants program has been awarded to 35 organisations in my electorate of Banks. From the South Hurstville Carss Park Cricket Club to the Beverly Hills North Public School P&C and the East Hills District Men's Shed, organisations all across Banks are receiving support for new equipment to support their operations.

Some examples include St George Little Athletics Centre, which will receive $1,850 for new timing gates at their events; the Blakehurst Public School P&C, who have got a new barbecue and utensils for school events and fundraising; and the Connells Point Sailing Club, which will be able to fund the replacement of sails and rigging for part of their fleet with $2,000. I look forward to seeing what all of these organisations can achieve with this support.

The events in Wangaratta last Monday meant last week was a tough one for many people in this place, but being able to be in my community and support organisations like the ones I've mentioned reaffirms why representing my community is such an incredible privilege and the honour of my professional life. I look forward to being back in my community, speaking to residents and supporting these local organisations.