Take a scenic walk that captures some of Sydney’s most breathtaking harbour views and say no to domestic and family violence.
Mary’s House Services, which runs a refuge and support services to help women escape abusive relationships, is now taking registrations for its annual sponsored walk.
The ten-kilometre walk on October 27th kicks off at St Leonards Park in North Sydney, goes up to Balls Head Reserve, through Waverton and returns to the park via McMahons Point.
‘It is such a fun day out and the walk takes in some of the best views in Australia,’ said Mary’s House Services CEO Yvette Vignando.
The community-funded not-for-profit is hoping to raise $250k from this year’s walk. ‘We have set ourselves an ambitious fundraising goal,’ said Yvette, ‘but I am confident we can reach it.’
Domestic and family violence in Australia has reached epidemic proportions with more than one woman every week and one child every fortnight killed by the impact of domestic and family violence.
One of the most recent heartbreaking cases was in Sydney’s west when three young children died in a house fire. The father has been charged with their murders and the attempted murder of his wife and four other children.
The number of women killed by an intimate partner in Australia increased by nearly 30% in 2022-23 and according to Destroy the Joint, there have already been up to 43 gender-based alleged murders since January.
Although Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared domestic violence a national crisis and both the Federal and NSW Governments have pledged more resources, none of this has helped the vital work carried out by Mary’s House Services.
‘We have no government support,’ explained Yvette. ‘We exist solely because of the generosity of our community.’
‘We urgently need funds to provide more expert social worker support for the families in our refuge and to provide more support programs for victims living in the community.’
Early bird registration for the sponsored walk is now open and The Greens bowling club is taking bookings if you want to have a relaxing post-walk brunch or lunch.
To take a stand against domestic and family violence, register for the walk here: https://mhswalk-2024.raiselysite.com
Download the Individual Fundraising Kit if you’d like to register for a walk or create a team.
Download the Corporate Fundraising Kit if you’d like to register your company/organisation or create a team as part of a company or organisation.
