Local fundraising to back up family violence prevention services

Empowering Our Community Ballarat is aimed at helping the helpers - who are often snowed under by countless people in need or refuge or escape.

"One of our goals is to shine a light on the support services that are already here in Ballarat - and bring in services that don't exist at the moment," member Kylie Johansen said.

"If you are a woman in Ballarat and you want to escape domestic violence - I mean, where do you go? Would you know where to get that help?

"Unless you know these groups exist, how can you get that support?

"We are also trying to explain to people what domestic violence is.

"You may not have bruises - but you can still be subject to it.

"It takes many forms."

Ms Johansen said Empowering Our Community Ballarat was born after the establishment of the DV Collective national charity a year ago - and had recently been boosted by a partnership with the Ballarat Business Women group.

"We're replicating a national initiative and giving it a community focus," she said.

"Partnering with Ballarat Business Women gives us a platform to launch and engage with locals."

"We've basically recreated DV Collective as a community branch model.

"I'm using my business development experience to try and get extra resources to help women who are escaping violence."

The DV Collective supports more than 100 existing support services for people escaping family violence.

In Ballarat that includes CAFS, WRISC and the Raven Collective.

One of their biggest projects to date has been to back a charity that donates nappies to young families fleeing violence.

"Nationally we've been able to secure pro-bono products and services which are then distributed to small grassroots local organisations," Ms Johansen said.

"For example, free wifi from Superloop."

She said some shelters had long waiting lists - and organisations needed all the help they could to get to support victims as soon as possible.

"People need help right now - not in a years' time," Ms Johansen said.

Another DV Collective project is the provision of safe phones - devices that cannot be tracked by perpetrators.

Kylie spoke to us in between appointments with corporate giants including WesFarmers and Woolworths - and next week she will speak to Ballarat's Rotary clubs who want to repurpose quality old furniture that will help survivors rebuild their homes and lives.

"The committee has 14 people - and three are men," she said.

"We want to invite more men because family violence can really affect them as well."

To find out more, go to www.dvcollective.org