By Kate Lockyer
The couple behind a fundraising effort that brought women’s helpline staff to tears of joy has renewed their efforts again this year, assisting survivors of domestic violence.
CEO of Women’s Legal Service QLD (WSLQ) Nadia Bromley said: “It’s not often I’m left without words, but these two young men regularly put me in that position.”
“Brendan and Brendon have now raised more money than we got in our first year of funding from the government,” Ms Bromley said.
The third Epic Walk for DV at New Farm Park will be held on March 24, organised by Hamilton locals Brendon Mann and Brendan Smith.
The couple have raised over $600,000 in the past two years through the walk and participation in the Dancing CEOs fundraising event.
WSLQ assists women with domestic violence, complex family law and sexual assault cases, and this year they are fundraising for their Financial Abuse Prevention Unit.
Ms Bromley said: “Violence is sometimes really visible, but sometimes financial abuse isn’t.
“It looks different for every woman. Sometimes it’s hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt to the ATO, but sometimes it’s $900 debt to Cash Converters that means she doesn’t have any furniture in her house, or a TV, and she can’t get shoes for her kids for school.”
“Every woman who gets help from the financial abuse unit gets the same thing, and what they get is financial independence and dignity in their lives,” she said.
With the almost $100,000 they raised from the walk last year, WLSQ was able to build a new website, making it more accessible for women to find the service and get help.
Mr Smith said: “Within our company Epic Hair Designs and my work as a journalist, we unfortunately see firsthand the effect domestic violence has on the people around us.”
“We had one of our own clients in 2011 lose their life at the hands of a DV perpetrator, and with the majority of Epic staff being women, we know how vital this service is to them and their families.”
Mr Smith and Mr Mann aim to raise $200,000 for WLSQ and have 1,500 people participate in the walk, up from 800 last year.
Ms Bromley said they now have an office wholly run by fundraising, and their staff had tears in their eyes when they realised they had the capacity to provide immediate help to some of their callers, without having to put them on a waiting list.
If you would like to donate, sponsor, or sign up for the walk, visit www.epicwalkfordv.com.au.
