Redland City Mayor Karen Williams has urged Redlanders to take a stand against domestic violence by supporting two key local events in May.

To mark the start of Domestic Violence Prevention Month on 1 May, Council – in partnership with Centre for Women & Co and The Red Rose Foundation – is hosting a special Candle Lighting Vigil at Raby Bay Harbour Park, followed by the annual Diner en Rouge fundraiser on Saturday 18 May.

“We need to stand up and be counted through opportunities such as these if we are to make a real difference for those affected by domestic and family violence,” Cr Williams said. “Being part of these events helps to raise awareness of their plight … they show that we stand with them, and that there is hope and people who care enough to step in and do something to help.”

Cr Williams said the Candle Lighting Vigil was an opportunity for Redlanders to gather to reflect on the lives lost each year as a result of domestic and family violence.

“It also allows us to show those who continue to suffer from domestic violence, along with the members of our frontline services who confront this brutality daily, that we stand with them,” she said.

“The need for your support has never been greater. On top of the tragedy and misery, Mission Australia has just reported that around 121,000 people experiencing family violence sought help from specialist homelessness services across Australia in 2017-18. And that’s just those who have sought help.

“The sad fact is that the number of women and children seeking housing help while experiencing family violence is rising, on average, 9 per cent each year and has been for years.

“The disturbing consequence of that is the high risk of survivors of domestic violence returning to violent partners because they feel they have no option other than homelessness, with the cycle of violence starting again.

“It shows just how far we still have to go to eliminate domestic and family violence and, especially, to provide the services that those affected by it need.”

This year’s Dîner en Rouge, to be held at a secret location on Saturday 18 May, will continue to raise funds to help make life a little easier for women and children who find themselves homeless through no fault of their own, as well as expanding the work of the Maybanke Accommodation and Crisis Support Service.

Cr Williams said Redlands Coast now had a major commitment to crisis accommodation and support from the State Government.

“And there is no doubt that the generosity of Redlanders through fundraisers such as Dîner en Rouge and the very public stand that Council and our community takes against domestic and family violence helped to influence this decision,” Cr Williams said.

“We have raised almost $260,000 so far but so much more needs to be done to ensure we can provide and maintain the local services that are so desperately needed.”

Tickets to the sumptuous Dîner en Rouge banquet, which has a red and white theme (red is for Redlands Coast and white is to acknowledge the national campaign to stop violence against women) are now available from the Redland Performing Arts Centre box office at www.rpac.com.au or by calling 3829 8131. Tickets are $175 each or $1700 for 10.

Visit redland.qld.gov.au/dinerenrouge for updates.

EVENT DETAILS:

Annual Candle Lighting Vigil
Venue: Cleveland’s Raby Bay Harbour Park
Shore Street West, Cleveland
Date: 5.30pm-6.30pm, Wednesday 1 May

Dîner en Rouge
Venue: Secret location
Saturday 18 May 2019
Information: redland.qld.gov.au/dinerenrouge
Tickets: Redland Performing Arts Centre Box Office.

Redland City Council is giving the next wave of innovative Redlands Coast entrepreneurs a flying start through a series of start-up and innovation initiatives.

Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said Council’s commitment to supporting local innovators included a group of Redlands Coast businesses that recently attended QODE – Australasia’s leading global forum for innovation and technology.

“Council’s economic development team has been working closely with a number of local businesses to build their innovative ideas that will ultimately help them grow their businesses and benefit the broader Redlands Coast community,” Cr Williams said.

“This included supporting three amazing Redlands Coast start-up businesses, RCG, Freelance Robotics and Switch Node, to attend last week’s QODE, helping them to connect with investors and innovators.

“The ultimate aim is to support the creation of local jobs of the future.”

Cr Williams said the success of these Council-led initiatives could be seen in the work of local start-ups such as PowerWells, which won the Duke of York’s Pitch@Palace national leg of the international entrepreneurial competition for its creation of cheap portable power supplies for remote communities.

“PowerWells, which was born from an idea at a Council-led brainstorming session, has underscored the value of Council’s economic development program, which includes pitch events for local entrepreneurs,” she said.

“PowerWells has since gone from strength to strength.

“They pitched their idea and developed it in a weekend and now have their PowerWells lighting up Indonesian communities.

“In collaboration with Council, StartUp Redlands now opens its doors every month to start-ups to allow them the opportunity to pitch their service or products to a room of entrepreneurial enthusiasts, as well as open doors to local angel investors to help them make their ideas a reality.

“Block2 won the last pitch opportunity in March for their creation of a platform through which small to medium businesses can share staff and other assets in a peer-to-peer environment.”

Cr Williams said Council now hosted regular collaborative events for local start-ups and was working to bring great thinkers and innovators to Redlands Coast for the Young Entrepreneur Summit on 13 September this year.

“Council secured funding through the State Government’s Advancing Regional Innovation Program to lead the delivery of innovation and entrepreneurship activities in the Redlands Coast – Logan region and we were thrilled to be able to showcase at QODE what has been achieved,” Cr Williams said.

The Advancing Regional Innovation Program is a partnership with Logan City Council, Griffith University, Alexandra Hills TAFE, Redland City Chamber of Commerce and other key partners with an interest in building the innovation ecosystem for the Redlands Coast – Logan region.

Redlands Coast start-up business owners Nathan Smith and Rusty Routledge, from Switchnode, Rebecca Grugan, from RCG, and William Pagnon, from Freelance Robotics.

One of Australia’s most powerful speakers on the tragedy of family and domestic violence, award-winning author Rebecca Poulson, will be the keynote speaker at May’s Dîner en Rouge fundraiser.

Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said Poulson’s story was one of shocking violence, tragedy and grief but also one of hope.

“Rebecca is a real inspiration to those affected by domestic and family violence and anyone who is committed to stopping it needs to hear about her extraordinary experiences, how she coped with them and how she is now influencing change,” Cr Williams said.

“Diner en Rouge is always a fun event but as a fundraiser for services to help those affected by family and domestic violence, it also informs and educates people about this awful problem.

“No one can do that better than Rebecca.”

Poulson, an ambassador of Our Watch and White Ribbon Australia and author of the award winning book Killing Love, was celebrating her 33rd birthday when her father, niece and nephew were murdered by her brother-in-law – the father of the children.

No stranger to shocking grief, she had already suffered the suicide of her brother and had survived an attempt on her life during a violent relationship.

Cr Williams said Poulson now spoke about her experiences as a survivor of domestic violence to raise public awareness and to advocate for social change.

“She is influencing the attitude of others, including governments, on the need for more support services, particularly the policing and legal procedures needed to better protect and support those at threat of violence,” Cr Williams said.

“More than that, Rebecca is a real inspiration to people facing challenges in their lives.”

Cr Williams said this year’s Dîner en Rouge, to be held at a secret location on Saturday 18 May, would raise funds to help make life a little easier for women and children who find themselves homeless through no fault of their own, as well as expanding the work of the Maybanke Accommodation and Crisis Support Service.

“Redlands Coast now has a major commitment to crisis accommodation and support from the State Government and there is no doubt that the generosity of Redlanders through fundraisers such as Dîner en Rouge was a major catalyst for this,” Cr Williams said.

“We have raised almost $260,000 so far but the scourge of family and domestic violence is relentless and so much more needs to be done to ensure we can provide the services that are so desperately needed.”

Tickets to the sumptuous banquet, which has a red and white theme (red is for Redlands Coast and white is to acknowledge the national campaign to stop violence against women) are now available from the Redland Performing Arts Centre box office at www.rpac.com.au or by calling 3829 8131. Tickets are $175 each or $1700 for 10.

Visit redland.qld.gov.au/dinerenrouge for updates.

Award-winning author Rebecca Poulson will share her story of tragedy and hope at the Dîner en Rouge fundraiser in May.