The Bellarine Peninsula
Connecting people and communities
F riday, 22 November, 2013
Phone: 5249 6700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808
Call to ‘man up’ against assault ACTOR John Shearman has a message for Geelong: man up on violence against women. Shearman, pictured, appeared in You the Man when it spread the message in Geelong this week. The play encourages bystanders to help prevent violence against women. A panel discussion accompanies You the Man in a program exploring dating violence, sexual assault and “the power of bystanders to intervene safely�. Deakin University’s Professor Ann Taket, Virginia Murray and Patrick van der Werft worked with the play’s American creator to adapt it for Australian audiences. “Our session (was) intended to get conversations started about how bystanders can intervene in incidents they observe or otherwise become aware of and interrupt the cycle of violence,� Prof Taket said. Barwon Health presented You the Man free of charge at its Geelong Clinical School on Monday as part of G21’s Month of Action to Stop Violence Against Women. 110449 Picture: REG RYAN
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Counselling service’s desperate plea:
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Throw us a Lifeline
THE REGION’S Lifeline service is facing a financial crisis as rising wages, costs and new protocols undermine its ability to meet a growing demand for help. Lifeline Geelong has 40 telephone counsellors and another 60 staff working across five shops in Geelong, Drysdale and Colac. Despite a significant annual funding boost of $50,000 18 months ago, it has been forced to draw on $40,000 from its reserves to keep afloat this year - a turnaround of almost $100,000. Geelong Barwon region board chairman Joe Crosby said the local operation had been considered one of Lifeline’s best performers nationally.
right now there’s a lot of pressure.� Lifeline draws funding from State Government, Geelong’s Give Where You Live program, Geelong Community Foundation and from Lifeline’s shops. “But we’re cutting into our reserves,� Mr Crosby said. “Just 65 per cent of our income is coming from the shops, where it used to be 75 to 80 per cent. This reflects the retail costs we’re facing. “Other centres in NSW and around Australia of similar size have got the same problems. We have meetings going on looking at costs, how to do things better, but there’s major work we have to do to make the whole thing sustainable. “We’re trying to provide a better, more-professional service but it’s tough,
“In the last two to three years we’ve broken even but this year we’ve had to pull into reserves by about $40,000 to keep going,� Mr Crosby said. “Fair Work Australia has looked at all wages across the board in the charity sector and that’s had an impact. All sorts of costs have gone through the roof - rental fees in our shops, it’s cost us $20,000 just to get rid of rubbish.� Lifeline Geelong fields about 8500 calls for help a year, with staff giving referrals, advice or simply a sympathetic ear. Between five and 10 per cent of callers were deemed “at risk�, Mr Crosby said. “But they’ve been increasing a little bit. Loneliness, family relationships financial concerns, these all contribute and
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tough going right around the country mainly because of rocketing costs. Protocols to support our phone counsellors have all been ramped up and the costs associated with that.� Lifeline Geelong services are available 24 hours a day, providing advice on issues including suicide bereavement, financial pressure, stress and domestic violence. Mr Crosby said Lifeline Geelong was heavily involved in setting up parent support groups in the wake of Western Heights’ Secondary College’s multiple youth suicides in 2009. The current level of calls for help was approaching the 9000 a year that Lifeline experienced during the Pyramid crisis two decades ago, he said.
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1072213-PJ18-13
By NOEL MURPHY