Bellarine women pour support into a cause close to home

ABOUT 40 people gathered over cuppas and cake last week for the Bellarine Women’s Workshop’s Biggest Morning Tea, raising more than $1,600 in support of the almost one in two Australians affected by cancer.

Guests participated in a variety of games, including a trivia competition, while Bellarine MP Alison Marchant donated the prizes for the event’s major raffle.

BWW committee chair Julie Merrifield said the cause was one the organisation’s membership cared for deeply.

“We’re a bunch of old girls – we don’t think of ourselves that way but we’re all past our prime – so there isn’t a single one of us that hasn’t been touched by cancer in some way,” she said.

“Some of our members have cancer or have fought it off. Some have family members with cancer, so it touches all of us.”

In what has quickly become an annual tradition, two of BWW’s members even donned morning tea appropriate headwear for the gathering, with one crafting a bonnet resembling a sponge cake, and the other a pink teacup.

“We always get a laugh out of those ladies,” Ms Merrifield said.

The event marked the third Biggest Morning Tea the organisation has hosted, with its fundraising effort its largest to date. These funds will support cancer research, prevention and support services for those affected by the disease.

The Bellarine Women’s Workshop, which operates in part as a Women’s Shed, was established in mid-2022 and now has about 50 members who meet for monthly workshops where they participate in a variety of activities including arts and crafts, DIY projects, woodworking and sewing.

“Every kind of craft that anybody feels like trying, we’ll give it a shot. But more importantly, we’re there to empower women,” Ms Merrifield said.

“We have a lot of women in the area who are older but are new to the area…so were feeling quite isolated. Our goal has been generally to make the women of the Bellarine feel more like they’ve got their own group, their own village, their own community.”And the organisation is always welcoming of new members.

“It’s a very friendly and relaxed atmosphere,” Ms Merrifield said.

“You don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to, we have some ladies who come along just for the company.”

For more information, or to join the Bellarine Women’s Workshop, head to the organisation’s page on Facebook.