Almost $2000 has been raised in less than a week for a permanent memorial to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse in Ballarat.
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The son of Peter Curran, who was one of the first survivors of clerical sexual abuse who fought to be heard in Ballarat, said it was a promising response.
Blake Curran, Peter's eldest son, began a GoFundMe page on Wednesday after Cardinal George Pell was sentenced to six years in jail for molesting 13-year-old boys in the 1990s.
Pell maintains his innocence and his appeal will be heard in June.
Mr Curran has tried to begin planning for a memorial before, but said last week the time was right to push again for a contemplative space in Ballarat that acknowledges the past - his suggestion is for a reflecting pool in the Botanical Gardens.
"I see (the GoFundMe) more as the spark to get the conversation happening," he said.
"I had a chat to council over the weekend, we'll be continuing discussions there - council are quite serious about it, which has been good, and from what I understand, they had thoughts on doing it for a quite a few years."
The money already raised could be donated to a charity supporting survivors, or another Ballarat-based charity, he added.
The City of Ballarat's role will be to "facilitate a funding model for the project" once there is "broad agreement on what the installation will be and where", according to community development director Neville Ivey.
"Over the past 18 months the City of Ballarat has been working with several Ballarat survivor groups on a public art installation to reflect a theme that is consistent with what is identified by the survivor groups," he said.
City of Ballarat councillor Belinda Coates "fully supports" the project, and said it is "important for us as a city to recognise the ongoing impact" of abuse.
"We need to commit funding in the budget in my view so that we can do in-depth community engagement with some proposals to help us reach consensus about what kind of memorial is most appropriate," she said.
"It's important to take the time needed to come up with the most sensitive and appropriate options. City of Ballarat could partner with other groups and other levels of government to work on this project."
To donate, visit Mr Curran's GoFundMe page.
Need help?
Professional helplines are available for anyone who is struggling, including survivors and their families.
The Centre Against Sexual Assault Ballarat has urged people affected by the revelations of child sexual abuse to seek help if needed.
Trained counsellors are available to speak to on a number of issues.
"We encourage anyone who has been affected by sexual assault to seek support," a spokesperson said,
"At Ballarat CASA we listen, provide support and advocacy in addition to acknowledging your experiences and the impact it may have had on your life."
People can arrange a one-off session at the centre in Sebastopol, or they can look to have ongoing counselling.
The centre also offers advocacy and case management.
Phone CASA Ballarat on 5320 3933, email casa@bhs.org.au, or free-call the crisis care line 24 hours on 1800 806 292.
Phone Lifeline 24-hours on 13 11 14, Beyondblue on 1300 224 636, or Relationships Australia on 1300 364 277.
The Blue Knot Foundation, which helps survivors of childhood trauma, has a helpline available from 9am to 5pm on 1300 657 380, or email helpline@blueknot.org.au for more information.
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