Committee seeks to empower community

A NEW partnership has been formed between networking group Ballarat Business Women and locally-based national domestic violence charity DV Collective.

The two organisations have launched a committee called Empowering Our Community Ballarat with the aim of helping women and children escaping and recovering from domestic violence, and the organisations that support them.

The key focuses of the committee are to identify and publicise local domestic violence support services, boost help resources across the region, and build the capacity of services so they can assist more victims.

Committee members will aim to do this by connecting with local businesspeople and organisations and getting them involved in volunteering and fundraising.

“Ballarat Business Women exists to empower women in our community,” said the group’s vice-chair Bec Ware.

“We’ve got over 600 subscribers, 2000 followers, and 150 members, so that’s a lot of women in small, medium, and larger enterprises that can have quite an influence.

“With the DV Collective, we are bringing people and projects together to make an impact.

“Our network exists to uplift women in their personal and professional environment, so it makes sense that we align ourselves with the DV Collective, because the ripple effects of empowering women are significant.”

DV Collective founder Kylie Johanson said although her not-for-profit has a national reach, it’s important to think locally.

“Everyone asks, ‘how can we help?’ so bringing together Ballarat Business Women and the DV Collective, and launching the committee, this is a way to engage them,” she said.

“Engagement is best done through collaboration.”

BBW members and DV Collective staff are inviting more locals to express interest in joining the Empowering Our Community Ballarat committee of volunteers.

People with networking, marketing, promotions, and event management skills, and a passion for helping others are sought.

The commitment would initially be about five hours per week, and meetings would be held bi-weekly until March next year, excluding the Christmas and New Year period.