Pixeld recently worked on a new website for The Sexual Assault & Family Violence Centre (SAFV Centre, previously known as Barwon CASA). The website highlights some of the services the Centre offers including crisis support, ongoing counselling and training and education to support primary prevention. Pixeld took a different approach for this website as it wasn’t about generating sales or leads. The website was to offer help to victims in a time of crisis, or offer help to those wanting to support victims. Quite an interesting project when dollars and cents are taken out of the equation.
The result was great, and you can check out the website at https://www.safvcentre.org.au/
Fortunately I haven’t had much to do with family violence or sexual assault in my life. With recent media coverage of horrible assaults against women across the country, I was aware of the existence of the problem, but it wasn’t until I visited the SAFV Centre that I realised the size of the problem. This multi-disciplinary centre was a building housing 300 staff completely dedicated to dealing with and preventing sexual assault and family violence in a regional town. This is not the only organisation of its kind in Geelong so imagine nation wide the amount of resources required. The scale of this blew me away, and the breadth of issues the SAFV Centre tackles made my head spin further. This is clearly a massive blight on our society that I was blissfully unaware of, yet I was ignorantly unable to direct anyone in need to this organisation.
I have a wife, a daughter and most recently Pixeld has a new female staff member. These are people in my life that I have a responsibility to stand up for. I wouldn’t have contemplated this so much in the past, so having the opportunity to work with the SAFV Centre has been a real eye opener.
Gender equality & your workplace awareness breakfast
Pixeld has decided to make a small contribution back to the SAFV Centre, by sponsoring an awareness breakfast for the international 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. The breakfast is aimed at business owners, professionals and any individuals interested in gender equality in the workplace. To be held on Tuesday the 27th of November nice and early at 7:30am.
Join us to gain an understanding of how to develop and implement gender equity practices in your workplace. Hear from the CEO of Respect Victoria, Tracey Gaudry and learn about a current example of gender equity practice at the City of Greater Geelong.
Ms Gaudry’s recent executive roles include CEO of Hawthorn Football Club, the first woman to serve in the role, and CEO of the Amy Gillett Foundation. Tracey is a Board Director of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and President of the UCI Women’s Commission. She also serves on the Advisory Council for Sports Environmental Alliance and the Deakin University Sport Network Advisory Board.
Louise Tracey from the Centre has done an amazing job in supporting the organisation of this event. KRock presenter and local identity Leanne ‘Stampsy’ Stamps will MC the event, and joining Ms. Gaudry will be CEO of the SAFV Centre, Helen Bolton and City of Greater Geelong’s Debbie Leeson-Rabie. Adding to that, just by attending you could win the door prize of a $250 Duffs jewellers voucher.
I would really love for my fellow Geelong business owners to join us for this breakfast to raise awareness, become aware ourselves and support this great organisation in Geelong. Tickets are only $25 for a full cooked breakfast and all the coffee you can drink at the Geelong Library & Heritage Centre (with a nice view from the top level). It’s the one favour I’d like to call in from anyone that knows me.
If you can’t make it to the breakfast you can still support the cause by doing something ‘orange’ on this day. Make a social media post with an orange t-shirt, eat an orange, whatever and use the hashtag #hearmetoo. Even if your life hasn’t been touched by family violence, you can make a contribution towards ending violence against women and girls.
Nathan George
Managing Director