The next phase of Ballarat’s ‘saturation model’ has been launched, aiming to drive down the rates of family violence and violence against women in the city.
The four-year model will bring together every part of the community, from sporting clubs to schools, to deliver a coordinated approach to violence prevention.
Following extensive consultations with the community and family violence services, locals are now being invited to apply for a group, shaping how the model is rolled out across Ballarat.
The working group will meet for a number of workshops between February and May, with Respect Victoria also hosting community roundtables that will focus on delivering local prevention initiatives and opening a community feedback portal online.
Speaking in Ballarat yesterday, Minister for Women and Prevention of Family Violence, Natalie Hutchins, said they want both women and men from different backgrounds to get involved.
“We intend on asking [participants] to go out and consult particular pockets of the community, and they’ll be doing that in pairs, so they’ve got that support going forward,” she said.
CEO of Respect Victoria, Helen Bolton, says it’s important we work to address and prevent violence before it starts.
“It’s really important that as we continue to work in Ballarat, that we form partnerships and collaboration with local providers and work together over the next few years [to] address violence where we live, where we work and wherever we socialise,” she said.
To register your interest, click here, with expressions of interest closing on February 7th.
