With a lick of bright paint Bundaberg and District Neighbourhood Centre’s new Red Bench will soon provide support to community members and raise awareness of domestic violence.
The Red Bench Project is an initiative of the Red Rose Foundation, which works towards ending domestic violence related deaths in Australia.
Coinciding with Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month in May, Bundaberg and District Neighbourhood Centre project officer Sue Hansen said replacing the old, weathered Red Bench with a new seat was timely.
Sue said there were several Red Benches around the Bundaberg Region and all had a purpose of raising awareness of domestic violence by providing an opportunity for the important issue to remain at the forefront of people’s minds.
“Everyone in our community has a right to be safe in their home and relationships,” Sue said.
“Everyone has a responsibility to keep others safe from harm.
“Unfortunately, the statistics of death and injury caused in domestic and family violence is extremely concerning.
“It is not only partners who are hurt, but also children who grow up in these environments.”
Sue said the topic could no longer be swept under the carpet and the local community needed to be familiar with the early signs of domestic and family violence and knowing how to help prevent it was a step in the right direction.
“Many people know of the physical harm that is caused in domestic and family violence environments,” she said.
“However, many do not know that domestic and family violence can take many forms.
“Domestic and family violence is about coercive control and can also relate to control of finances, social activities, access to technology, threatening and humiliation, prohibiting or forcing cultural or religious activities and much more.
“The signs of domestic and family violence are not always obvious and so having organisations like the Bundaberg Neighbourhood Centre provide a Red Bench, there is a place and reason to start a conversation.
“Talking about domestic and family violence provides opportunities for more people to gain knowledge and share information about the importance of looking out for loved ones.”
Bundaberg Neighbourhood Centre has recently received funding from the Queensland Government to provide information to people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds about domestic and family violence.
“Having a Red Bench at the Bundaberg Neighbourhood Centre supports our commitment to educating the CALD community and general community about our desire to end domestic and family violence,” Sue said.
“The Bundaberg Neighbourhood Centre is the multicultural hub for Bundaberg and offers many community-based activities, so access to a Red Bench can reach a broad cross-section of the community.”
To find all the locations of the Red Benches in the Bundaberg Region click here.
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