Weave Youth & Community Services

About

Weave Youth & Community Services is a place-based community organisation located on Gadigal and Bidjigal Land in Sydney, with a 46 year track record of delivering programs and supports developed with and for the community. Weave has strong connections, experience and trust across the communities it services.

Weave supports children, young people, women, families and communities who have been impacted by systemic disadvantage and intergenerational trauma. Symptoms of these impacts often manifest as Issues such as poverty, poor mental health and social and emotional wellbeing, domestic and family violence, homelessness, lack of access to opportunities, high rates of suicide, family breakdown, high levels of incarceration and alcohol and other drug issues. Those most impacted are children, young people and women.

Through our 4 sites in Waterloo/Redfern, Woolloomooloo and Malabar, Weave supports around 2,000 people per year through intensive, wrap-around, one-on-one support and provides community programs, groups and events that are accessed by around 5,000 people per year. Over 70% of those we support across Weave are Aboriginal people.

Weave‘s mission is to empower people to change their lives and provide opportunities for a way up and a way forward.

Program donations fund:

In the coming year, Weave’s Women & Children’s Centre in Redfern, Sydney expects to support at least 250 women and their children experiencing Domestic and Family Violence. We support all women of all ages experiencing domestic and family violence within our geographic area. The only criteria is that they have experienced recent violence and have left or are wanting to leave the relationship. Weave has a proven track record of assisting women in the Sydney area with the emotional, practical and financial assistance they need to be able to safely leave a violent relationship. Over 50% of the women we support through the program are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. Our Weave Women and Children's Centre Program Manager is Regan Mitchell, a Wiradjuri woman.

We know that when women are experiencing DFV and abuse, in most cases, their preferred option is to remain in their home. Unfortunately, without security upgrades, this is not always possible. Often the property is familiar to the perpetrator which means that it is critical to ensure appropriate safety measures are in place. Weave works with the woman to put legal measures in place and to upgrade security to enable her and her children to remain safely at home. In the event that remaining in their home is not the safest option, Weave can assist the woman and her children to relocate to an address unknown to the perpetrator. In this case, we require brokerage funds to assist with some of the urgent relocation costs such as removalist fees. A home security audit is then needed to ensure the new property is safe and appropriate.

We are seeking support to provide vital security upgrades to keep women safe in their homes, support with removalists for those safest moving to a new home.

To assess the unique situation of each woman, our case workers attend the woman’s property and conduct vital Security Audits for home safety upgrades. It is especially important that we are guided by each individual woman’s experience to lead the audit. We know that the woman is the expert in her own life and safety, and has key insight into the perpetrator's behaviours and patterns. Depending on the assessment, we assist with installing security cameras, sensor lights, customised security doors, lock changes, safety rooms, blinds or curtains and any other necessary requirements to make the home as secure as possible. Every security audit is different.

Budget:
Basic lock change: $400 x 10 = $4,000
Removalist cost: $400 x 10 = $4,000
Security cameras: $,2000 x 1 = $2,000
TOTAL: $10,000