‘Overwhelmed’: Bayside Women’s Shelter to remain open after big donation
Bayside Women’s Shelter has secured a major sponsor to keep its doors open for 2020. The sponsor came forward after reading about the shelter’s predicament in the Southern Courier.
Southern Courier
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Bayside Women’s Shelter has been saved from possible closure – after a charity read about its financial predicament in the Southern Courier.
The lifesaving facility opened in December last year with the Clovelly Community Bank stumping up the money to cover the first year of rent.
Last month, the Southern Courier revealed the shelter was looking for a major sponsor next year to cover its $50,000 rent or else it may close.
Clovelly Community Bank has since come to the rescue once again and offered to pay the shelter’s rent for the next six months, a total of $25,000.
“We didn’t realise the situation until we read about it in the Southern Courier,” Nicola Powell, from Clovelly Community Bank, said.
“The shelter has done such great work and we are really pleased to able to help again and provide money for rent for the next six months.”
Shelter chairwoman Christina Curry said they were overwhlemed with the support.
“We are extremely grateful and quite overwhelmed.
“They were our founding sponsor and paid our first year’s rent and to have them commit to a further six months is just fantastic news.
“This is such an important shelter in our community and we are so grateful that we can continue to operate, in order to keep women and children safe.”
It was opened just before Christmas last year and is the only shelter of its kind in southeast Sydney.
Since opening, the shelter has been running at capacity and has so far provided a safe haven for 19 women and 29 children escaping domestic violence.
The shelter includes six bedrooms where women and their children can stay for up to three months.
Ms Powell said the shelter was doing great work.
“The Clovelly Community Bank were honoured to fund the shelter’s first year’s rent as we were confident this was a project our customers, our community, would want their profits to go towards.
“By continuing to pay the shelter’s rent into the second year, we are confident that our funding is going directly towards helping local women and their children escape domestic violence and find a safe place to escape to.”
She said the branch in Clovelly was also a drop off point for collecting shelter donations.
The bank branch has donated more than $1.2 million to the local community over the past 12 years.
If you are interested in helping or sponsoring Bayside Women’s Shelter, email info@baysidewomensshelter.org.