Celebrating 14 years of helping vulnerable women
The Northern Beaches Women’s Shelter (NBWS) is inviting the community to join in its annual gala ball, marking 14 years of providing support to women in crisis. The event aims to raise crucial funds for the service.
NBWS is a non-profit, community- funded charitable organisation providing crisis accommodation, support, safety and services to homeless women.
This year’s gala will take on the theme ‘Roll out the red carpet’, with monies raised from the event going directly to support ongoing operations.
“I was distraught when I arrived at the shelter with my bags and belongings,” says Tania, who came to NBWS after fleeing domestic violence.
There Tania found safety and the support she needed to rebuild her life, reclaim her independence and rejoin society.
The shelter also helped to rebuild her confidence and provided Tania with the right tools to start her healing process.
“I had suffered abuse for months – physical, psychological, emotional and financial. This left me unsure of myself and my own capabilities. I had completely lost my confidence and doubted my ability to make decisions about pretty much anything. I felt very alone,” she says.
“I came to understand the cycle of abuse that I’d been subjected to and to acknowledge that this was not how a loving relationship should develop.”
With time, she started planning her future: she began studying real estate and set about finding a new place to live.
“I’m not sure what I would have done if I hadn’t gone to the shelter. My situation was getting worse and I couldn’t talk to anyone. I felt safe at the shelter. The staff helped me in so many practical ways but also to realise I was not to blame, and I was not the victim he tried to make me into. I know I can achieve whatever I set my mind to,” she says.
Like Tania, there are many women looking for a place to feel safe.
Join the gala to help the NBWS raise funds. The ball will be held on 6 April at the Manly Pacific Hotel. For tickets and information, visit nbws.org.au