Click here to read about the 2019 Women & Change Grant Recipient.
Previous Women & Change Grant Recipients include:
2018 – The Carers Foundation Australia
The Carers Foundation Australia were the 2018 Women & Change Grant Recipient. The $50,000 grant was used to provide respite for teenage carers as young as 14. Many have cared for a sick or disabled parents, and often sibling,s their entire lives and many suffer from depression and isolation. Some say they have never known happiness. The respite service provided by the team at the Carers Foundation rebuilds the mental and physical health of these children who bear enormous responsibility. Respite for Carers is not currently supported by the NDIS and The Carers Foundation Australia research confirms they are the only provider of this service.
2017 – Mu’ooz Restaurant
In 2017 Mu’ooz Restaurant was awarded the Women and Change $50,000 Grant. With these funds, Mu’ooz was able to design and build a kitchen that would be expand the number of women who can take part in work experience, training and employment opportunities to African refugees. The facilities available prior to the Grant limited the number of women able to participate and were also restricting the restaurant which helped fund their charitable works. Established in 2003, Mu’ooz helps women who have suffered traumatic experiences of war and poverty by providing employment and new opportunities that help the healing process, plus in addition the presentation communicated the emotional and social advantages of women coming together in this way, such as helping to translate forms and understand Australian culture. Women who have trained through Mu’ooz have moved from welfare to work in hospitality in hospitals, schools and other organisations.
2016 – SKIP
SKIP won the 2016 Women and Change Grant. SKIP used these funds to create a regional extension of SKIP’s work, reaching doctors and patients across regional Queensland to educate GP’s and ensure more children are accurately diagnosed. This initiative has a lasting impact in ensuring children receive help with the physical, mental and social impacts of chronic pain. SKIP’s specialist team highlighted that without intervention, children with chronic pain are at risk of developing permanent disabilities, drug dependency or abuse, or failure to complete their schooling, leading to a lack of opportunity later in life.
2015 – Outback Futures
The 2015 $50,000 Grant was awarded to Outback Futures to enable the organisation to extend the reach of their regional allied health service. Members were inspired by the work of Outback Futures, providing combined health services to women and families in remote Queensland. Outback Futures visits communities where there are no primary health care services and where it can be two days return trip to see a specialist. For these families access to a GP is limited and waitlists are long. Outback Futures also maintains contact with these families through it’s Stay with Me Telehealth service.
2014 – Townsville Sexual Assault Partnership
The inaugural winner of the Women & Change $50,000 Grant was the The Women’s Centre in Townsville. Townsville experiences one of the highest levels of sexual assault anywhere in Queensland and the Women’s Centre team instigated a first of its kind approach to support victims through every stage of the process and minimise the trauma of dealing with multiple agencies including police, hospitals, allied health and lawyers. The Centre now provides a 24 hr free and confidential support service for victims sexual assault. And the team includes workers from the Specialist Sexual Assault Support Service, Detectives from the Child Abuse and Sexual Crimes Unit, Nurse examiners from the Clinical Forensic Medicine Unit, and Allied Health staff from The Townsville Hospital.