Mackay Women's Services

✨ MWS Proud to Be an NQBP Community Grant Recipient ✨ We’re excited to share that MWS was selected as one of the community grant recipients at the recent North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation Community Engagement Night! A big thank you to the team at NQBP for their ongoing commitment to supporting local initiatives and helping our community thrive. Belinda Berg | Zoe Barrow | Geoff O'Connor | Amanda Lavarack | Deputy Mayor Karen May GAICD | Stacey Kreyts | Shannon Roberts Gibbs | Elissa Hatherly

✨ Celebrating a Milestone of Dedication ✨ Congratulations to our Board Secretary, Amanda Lavarack, for over 10 years of dedicated service to Mackay Women’s Services!   Amanda has been a committed member of our board for nearly 14 years, guiding the organisation through many chapters and contributing to its growth and impact.   We are incredibly grateful for Amanda’s leadership and passion. Congratulations Amanda – we’re thrilled to have you as part of the MWS Board! Deputy Mayor Karen May GAICD | Geoff O'Connor | Elissa Hatherly | Shannon Roberts Gibbs | Stacey Kreyts | Belinda Berg | Stacy Irwin | Sarah Jones-Trifelly

Do we want to talk about local organisations lifting up local organisations? Absolutely - because the Community Bank Sarina (Sarina & District Community Financial Services Limited) deserves a spotlight ✨ Last night, our MWS team had the pleasure of attending the Community Bank Sarina AGM & Community Engagement Night. We’re incredibly grateful to have received a generous grant to support our Sarina Women’s Group. Thanks to this funding, the group can now meet monthly for a facilitated session with one of our qualified counsellors strengthening connection, wellbeing, and support in the Sarina community. Zoe Barrow | Vicki Newman | Geoff O'Connor | Deputy Mayor Karen May GAICD | Amanda Lavarack | Stacey Kreyts | Elissa Hatherly | Shannon Roberts Gibbs | Belinda Berg

Thank you to North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation for giving us the mic this morning ✨ This morning, our CEO had the fantastic opportunity to speak at the Resource Industry Network AGM - all thanks to the NQBP team. It was a room full of influential business leaders, and MWS was proud to share our story, the impact we’re making, and how others can get involved in supporting our mission. Huge appreciation to NQBP for making this possible. Your support not only helps us amplify our voice — it helps us build safer communities. By giving us this platform, you’re also helping people know where to turn when they need support. That’s the kind of ripple effect we love to see! Belinda Berg | Sarah Jones-Trifelly | Stacy Irwin | Zoe Barrow | Geoff O'Connor | Deputy Mayor Karen May GAICD | Amanda Lavarack | Stacey Kreyts | Elissa Hatherly | Shannon Roberts Gibbs

Our commitment to victim-survivors doesn’t stop on the weekend. ✨ Over the weekend, members of the MWS Team attended the Community Cabinet in Mackay. It was a valuable opportunity to connect directly with Cabinet members and share insights from our frontline services. During, this time we had a meeting with Minister Amanda Camm, where we discussed emerging trends in our work and explored ways her department can continue supporting victim-survivors. Together, we’re committed to keeping their voices at the centre of everything we do. Belinda Berg | Sarah Jones-Trifelly | Stacy Irwin | Zoe Barrow | Deputy Mayor Karen May GAICD | Amanda Lavarack | Elissa Hatherly | Geoff O'Connor | Stacey Kreyts | Shannon Roberts Gibbs |

✨ October is Sexual Violence Awareness Month ✨ October marks Sexual Violence Awareness Month in Queensland - a time to reflect, raise awareness, and stand in solidarity with victim-survivors of sexual violence. This year’s theme, “Together, We Can,” reminds us that real change happens when we unite as a community, supporting victim-survivors and challenging the attitudes that allow sexual violence to persist. This week, one of our incredible counsellors shared a powerful presentation with our team about the importance of this month. Some key reflections included: ✨ Many survivors feel unsafe in their own bodies ✨ Recovery isn’t linear. It takes time, compassion, and space to heal at one’s own pace. ✨ Finding the words can be hard, especially when the person responsible was someone trusted. Our role is to listen, believe, and help survivors reclaim their voice. Zoe Barrow | Belinda Berg | Stacy Irwin | Sarah Jones-Trifelly |

✨ MWS x DVConnect x QLD Police ✨ Domestic, family, and sexual violence doesn’t follow office hours - and neither does our commitment to supporting victim-survivors.   This week, our team at Mackay Women’s Services met with DVConnect and Queensland Police Service to walk through our after-hours response process.   These conversations are vital to ensuring that people in our community know what support is available after-hours in our community.   👉 If you’re in immediate danger, always call 000. 👉 If you already have a safety plan in place with our team, and you are able to enact it, please do so. 👉 For after-hours domestic & family violence support, call DV Connects 24/7 helpline. 👉 For non-urgent enquiries, please call (07) 4953 1788 or email admin@dvrs.org.au and leave a message - we’ll respond during office hours Belinda Berg | Stacy Irwin | Sarah Jones-Trifelly | Geoff O'Connor | Deputy Mayor Karen May GAICD | Amanda Lavarack | Stacey Kreyts | Elissa Hatherly | Shannon Roberts Gibbs

Over the past few days, Mackay Women’s Services had the privilege of hosting the Queensland Domestic Violence Services Network (QDVSN) October 2025 meeting. It was a pleasure to welcome some our incredible counterparts from across the state to our beautiful region. We’re always grateful for opportunities to connect, share knowledge, and celebrate the inspiring work happening throughout Queensland. DVNQ | DVConnect | Domestic Violence Action Centre INC | Domestic Violence Prevention Centre (DVPC) | YFS Ltd | Micah Projects | Belinda Berg | Stacy Irwin | Sarah Jones-Trifelly | Deputy Mayor Karen May GAICD | Shannon Roberts Gibbs | Geoff O'Connor | Amanda Lavarack | Stacey Kreyts | Amanda Camm

✨ WE ARE HIRING ✨ Join us at Mackay Women’s Services as a HRT Cultural Advisor and help shape culturally safe responses for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Australian South Sea Islander women and children experiencing domestic and family violence. This impactful part-time role (minimum 2 days per week, with potential for full-time) involves providing cultural advice, strengthening community connections, engaging in multidisciplinary teams, and contributing to long-term planning and policy development. If you're passionate about community, culture, and creating change, we’d love to hear from you. 📍 Apply now https://lnkd.in/g6s9pzuC

This morning, some of our team joined the opening of the North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation North Wall Recreational Area – a wonderful new community space! We were excited to see the addition of a red bench, a powerful symbol to raise awareness of domestic and family violence and keep this important conversation visible in our community. A big thank you to the team at NQBP for having us – we’re proud to see activations like this include conversations about domestic and family violence, as it’s so important to keep awareness alive. Belinda Berg | Deputy Mayor Karen May GAICD | Sarah Jones-Trifelly | Zoe Barrow