LOCAL LIFE
MAKE A DIFFERENCE : March for Change 2024
by Lorna Gordon
On 3 May over 250 people marched from Castle Towers to Castle Hill RSL as part of the first Hills March for Change . Taking part were people from different parts of our community , including high school students , local politicians , Hills Shire Councillors and local police .
Former Mayor of the Hills and Patron of the Hills DV Prevention Network , Dr Michelle Byrne and Bryan Mullan from Castle Hill Wesley Uniting Church came up with the idea to hold a March for Change . The event was organised with help from community groups , including Hills Soroptimists , Castle Hill Police , Castle Hill RSL , Castle Hill Bowling Club and Baulkham Hills Lions .
The March for Change was established to make a stand against Domestic and Family Violence ( DFV ) and to raise awareness within our community , which sadly is not immune to the effects of DFV . When the group reached Castle Hill RSL they were provided with breakfast before speakers from the community and police stepped up to discuss the impact of DFV .
Students of Kellyville High put together a video called Love Bites , which explores domestic violence and shows students the red flags to look for in relationships which can lead to abuse . They hope this short film can help to educate other students about abusive relationships and put an end to the generational cycle of domestic violence .
Naomi Moore , Commander of the Hills
Over 250 people joined the March for Change and took a stand against domestic and family violence .
Police Area Command spoke about the incidence of domestic and family violence in both NSW and the Hills .
“ In NSW last year the NSW Police Force responded to 144,000 DFV incidents equating to one incident every four minutes .”
“ In the Hills last year the Hills Police Area Command investigated 2992 DFV incidents equating to eight incidents every day right here in our community . Sadly , it takes an average of 26 incidents to occur before a victim will come forward and report domestic violence .”
It is this shocking statistic that March for Change is looking to change . The first step has been the march , but this is not the only event they have planned . On May 16 they held a fundraiser to help Hills Community Aid and The Hills Transitional Housing Project , which saw a donation of $ 60,000 from the previous year ’ s fundraiser .
This fundraiser was vital as Hills Community Aid has seen an increase of 28 per cent in the number of people asking for assistance due to domestic and family violence in the past year .
If you are experiencing or know of a family member or friend experiencing DFV you can report it at your local police station , call crime stoppers 1300 333 000 or the police line 131 444 .
Victims of DFV can access the new Empower You App , which includes a comprehensive list of DFV support services and a diary function to document incidents that can be emailed and used in court should it be needed as evidence .
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8 ISSUE 108 // JUNE 2024 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HILLS INDEPENDENT