Community events
If you’re holding a community event for vulnerable members, Indigenous or culturally or linguistically diverse people, you can send a request for our team to attend.
Get in touch to see how we can help
The first step in asking us to participate in your community event is to complete the Community event request form (PDF 104KB). This helps us to evaluate your request.
We’ll assess your event, its audience, timing, location and cost and consider what staffing requirements and other resources / materials we would need. In some cases, we may partner with other government agencies such as Service NSW, Revenue NSW and Legal Aid to deliver our services to your event.
What we bring along to your event
Depending on the nature of your event, we may provide:
- application forms
- brochures
- merchandise
- marquee and furniture
- banners
- iPads and a camera to photograph identity documents needed for applications.
Our knowledgeable and trained staff will dress and present professionally. They’re responsible for setting up and taking down any display materials and will arrive at a time that allows for these items to be set up without affecting any visitors.
Let us know if you have funding
We recommend providing birth certificates at no cost to individuals in vulnerable communities, and we need to know if you have any funding available for this from any source.
Where required we seek approval from our Registrar to provide partial or full funding for a quantity of birth certificates.
Helping vulnerable people
Vulnerable person means someone who is experiencing disadvantage. They may be:
- experiencing domestic and family violence
- homeless or at risk of becoming homeless
- under 18 years of age, not at school and not working
- suffering long term chronic debilitating illnesses
- members of the Stolen Generations
- in personal disasters such as a house fire that has destroyed personal property
- an unregistered person in a custodial sentence
- victims of a natural disaster.
Our Fee waiver policy (PDF 161.14KB) explains some of the ways we can help vulnerable people. We also recognise that people may be in a temporary situation and not be considered vulnerable at all times.
Identification requirements for applicants
When we collect applications at an event, we require copies of identity documents for each application.
- See our standard proof of identity documents for birth certificates.
- Our staff will explain the requirements and assist applicants who have limited identification.
Distribution of certificates
We send certificates direct to the customer by registered mail.
When a certificate is requested by a vulnerable or homeless person without a mailing address, we can send the certificates to a caseworker or to the event organisers.
Contact us
See our contact details or contact our Community Engagement Manager at bdm.events@customerservice.nsw.gov.au