Sutherland Shire Walk For Respectful Relationships

The 2024 Walk for Respectful Relationships will be held on Friday 29th November 2024. Put the date in your diary, and we look forward to you joining us again.

Marshalling for the walk will occur at 9:45am at Don Lucas Reserve ahead of the walk commencement at 10:00am. At the conclusion of the walk there will be a Community Presentation commencing at South Cronulla Park, which is expected commence at 10:45am and conclude at 12:00pm.

The theme again will be “Call out, Speak out, Help out”

Participating in the walk is a great opportunity for you to show your support and raise awareness of Domestic & Family Violence within your own community, by getting together with your family, friends, or colleagues to go out for a walk - at any time during the day - and talk about what you can do to create a safer community for women and children. While you're out on your walk, snap a photo, post it on your socials using the hashtag #EveryStepCounts and #StandUpSpeakOut or email them to us to join our Online Gallery.

Did you know that 1 Australian woman dies every 9 days at the hands of her current or former partner. Every death, every abusive act, is one too many. Join us to Stand Up, Speak Out, and reject violence in our community.

What do we mean when we say let’s Call Out, Speak Out or Help Out?

Let’s Call Out, behaviours and conversations that are disrespectful. Despite intentions, the resulting disrespect is not acceptable and needs to be challenged. Your individual voice can make a difference.

Let’s Speak Out to your family, peers, friends and teachers when needed. If you see, hear or feel disrespected you need to speak up and seek support. People will listen and respect you for having the courage to speak up.

Let’s Help Out, if someone you know asks you for help, ensure you believe them, support them in seeking service help - that could include 1800 Respect and for all emergencies call 000.

We would like to say a special thank you to our wonderful event sponsors and supporters for 2023:

Here is a video from the 2020 Walk...

Our Aims

The Walk for Respectful Relationships committee consists of the local community members, local not-for-profits, school representatives, and multiple levels of government, who collectively are passionate about raising awareness on the issue of Domestic & Family Violence. The Committee has no political affiliation and is focused on bi-partisan agreement and co-operation to achieve stated objectives.

Vision:

The Walk for Respectful Relationships Committee aims to raise awareness for Domestic and Family violence through an annual community walk and presentation assembly.
This event aims to speak out against domestic and family violence and highlight the work that needs to be done within our community to make a change and reduce the impacts of Domestic and Family Violence within the community.
We further wish to highlight services within the community that can help both survivors and offenders of Domestic & Family Violence to reduce the impact and occurrence of reoffending of Domestic and Family Violence crimes.
The committee invites local citizens, businesses, services as well as schools to participate in the walk and presentation. The participation of schools is integral to the walk, to encourage young people to participate in leadership focused on social change. The committee further acknowledges the significant work social services are currently offering and aims to support pre-existing programs and services that support families impacted by violence and raise awareness.

Objectives:

Raising Awareness: Working collaboratively with our community to create an environment where our community has a deep understating and awareness of the extent and impact of DFV.
Knowledge: Knowledge is required to support women, children and men in their homes, making known the available services within the community who can help all members of our local community.
Understanding: that we, as individuals and as a collective, can make a difference by standing up and speaking out about violence; that by participating we are advocating for change.
Do: Taking the awareness, knowledge and understanding gained from participating in the walk and presentation, and actively applying it to an individuals life can be extremely impactful in changing our communities attitudes to DFV.

What do we do:

To organise and advertise the Sutherland Shire Walk Against Domestic Violence
To provide resources and individual expertise throughout the planning and implementation of the Walk, work on the day of the Walk
Collaborate to develop strategies, to address the sustainability of the Walk in the Sutherland Shire
Provide all reasonable assistance, support and opportunities to implement sustainability strategies.

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Register for the walk

Let us know you’re joining in OR participating. Register your family, friends and work colleagues to attend the virtual walk to gain access to the live video!
#EveryStepCounts

Use the hashtag #EveryStepCounts when participating in the annual Walk for Respectful Relationships to create awareness and address Domestic and Family Violence issues in our community.
Committee

The Walk for Respectful Relationships Committee is a group of dedicated professionals and community members who are passionate about raising awareness on the issue of Domestic & Family Violence

Group Programs Schedule

Each term, we publish a calendar of events for programs we offer. This includes our Parenting Support Programs, Early Childhood and Educational Support Programs and Domestic Violence Support Programs.
About Us

We exist because all children and families should have a safe home, strong connections and opportunities to thrive in life.
How to Refer

Help is easy to access. You can be referred by a health professional or another agency, or self-refer. Just call us on (02) 9528 2933 and tell us what you need help with.
Family Caseworker Program

Family Workers provide assistance to families who, for a variety of reasons, would benefit from additional support.
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Southern Sydney Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service

The Southern Sydney Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service (SSWDVCAS) provides information, advocacy and referrals for women and families attending Sutherland and Kogarah Local Courts for Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders.
Youth Programs & Services

The Family Co. Youth Services offer information, support and programs for young people, schools and families. Our experienced staff aim to support young people to strengthen and foster relationships and develop resilience and life skills. We offer a range of programs and services that help young people become self-aware, understand and explore their potential, and be present and connected in their community.