The Beacon of Hope Project announced its goal to find a permanent space to provide support for domestic violence victims and people with disabilities in the Illawarra last Thursday.
CEO and founder Samantha Bruce wants a permanent space in the Illawarra to continue offering events and support for women with psychosocial disabilities and/or trauma.
“For the women that we support […] just the change of even time or the change of having someone enter a space that they don’t know […] can be the barrier to them coming,” she said.
“We want to create a small space so that they can have a drop-in, and eventually we want to have daily groups. That’s the goal.”
The organisation also hosts monthly ‘BOHP inclusive markets’, with sensory spaces, accessible entry and vendors who wait to be approached.
Owner of LUX Keychains, Ruth Robson, is a volunteer and vendor who sells ‘safety keychains’ fitted with tools like alarms, whistles, LED lights, and seatbelt cutters to help women feel safer in their communities.
Robson said a friend’s decade-long experience with domestic violence inspired the business, while Bruce’s advocacy and the Beacon of Hope Project’s market vendor model encouraged her to become a vendor.
“We include everybody. There’s no discrimination,” she said.
“I have a lot of anxiety, and a lot of people here do, and I just feel like I’m connecting, and I feel I fit in. I’m included.”
Bruce said the centre’s location and timeframe have not yet been decided. Community members can support the process by volunteering, donating, or attending BOHP events.
