The South Dunedin Community Network is one of six organisations given a share of the Dunedin City Council's $268,500 funding for placed-based (geographic area) community groups.
The group has been given $64,715 to help build on the positive momentum already been made in the community.
SDCN trustee Eleanor Doig said the money would be spent hiring a full-time community development worker to help further develop the South Dunedin community and identity.
The network was established after three hui were held in South Dunedin earlier this year and last year.
Mrs Doig said there was a narrative about South Dunedin being a horrible place to live, which the group hoped to change.
``We want to get things stirred up and make sure there is a real sense of cohesion in the community.''
Another issue facing the area was the negative effects of climate change.
Homeowners were already noticing changes to their properties caused by the increasing number of floods and storm surges, so it was imperative the community was prepared, she said.
``If you look around South Dunedin you see people who look poor, and many of them are, but at the same time they've lived through some pretty hard times and are still surviving them, and it's that spirit we want to draw on.''
Other groups that received grants were the Greater Green Island Community Network ($70,000), Progress of Waikouaiti ($22,000), Saddle Hill Foundation Trust ($34,605), North East Valley Community Development Project ($55,000) and Caversham Community Group ($22,274).
Funding for the Saddle Hill Foundation Trust and the North East Valley Community Development Project will be repeated for a further two years.
A total of $300,000 was set aside in the council's 10-year plan for three years for place-based groups while staff explored other ways of supporting community partnerships and community-led initiatives.
