A compassionate call to action

COMPASSIONATE Ballarat is working with the City of Ballarat on a community-led project which aims to unite people in caring for others.

The project, which was launched last Friday, comes after a series of high-profile traumas in the city this year.

The event was held at the symbolic Compassionate Ballarat Garden on Victoria Street, diagonally across from Stawell Street.

“City of Ballarat signed the Charter for Compassion in 2019 and it really demonstrates the commitment from the community,” said Compassionate Ballarat chair Ben Kelly.

“We see so many acts of compassion across the Ballarat community day in and day out, particularly by young people.”

Mayor Cr Des Hudson invited students to pass on their written wishes for Ballarat to him and other adults.

They are designed to be a call to action for residents to help the wishes come true, with some centering around topics like safety, valuing diversity and forgiveness.

Ballarat High School student Isabelle wished for a safer city for victims of domestic violence.

“We wish domestic violence victims could feel safe and protected by their community and have access to safe places,” she said.

“We wrote this because we feel like with the past events that have happened that everyone needs to feel safe and have a place to speak about it.”

All the wishes from students will be compiled into a book that will be distributed to other compassionate cities.

“Their wishes really touch the heart of the core values of any community,” said Cr Hudson.

“It’s about inclusiveness, it’s about equality, it’s about that opportunity for everyone young or old, cultural diversity, sexual diversity.

“We pride ourselves on being a welcoming city and therefore we need to walk the talk with that and make sure we are able to put our arms out to those who aren’t able to have the same opportunities.”