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Greetings from Dorothy and the wonderful team Rotary SAFE Families Leadership Team who give of their time and skills to the primary prevention of family abuse in our communities.
Last newsletter we shared with you the commencement of the Towards Respectful Relationships Program in Melbourne, created by Ginny Giorgio, Rotary Kingscliff and now in its 5th year in schools in northern NSW. We are delighted to provide our own Rotary SAFE Families success of the TRR Program here in Melbourne. Thank you Ginny for designing this fantastic opportunity for Year 10 students to share and work with their peers, highlighting the importance of respectful relationships versus the horrid impact of abuse and violence.
Pic shows L-R: Vincent Chen, PP Dorothy Gilmour (Rotary Hawthorn), PP Ronald Moss (Rotary Caroline Springs), President Ian Bentley (Rotary Hawthorn), Ginny Giorgio (Rotary Kingscliff, NSW), Aminda Bell (Rotary Hawthorn) Our first school has completed the 8 week program and we held an Award Giving event at the Sophia Mundi Steiner School, Abbotsford recently. I still literally have "goose bumps" after viewing the films these beautiful young people created for our program. We had the support of a film producer, Rotarians from Rotary Hawthorn, and the Victoria Police Family Violence Community Liaison Team who visited the students and shared the reality of their work and the importance for young people to be aware of prevention and respect versus the horrific impact of domestic abuse. Since inviting Victoria Police to be part of the program, Dorothy is delighted to have received three invitations to meet with Victoria Police Community Liaison Teams from Eastern and Western areas of Melbourne to discuss more Police involvement in this program. Victoria Police are seeking ways to interact with our young people and this program has proven it is an ideal segue for Police involvement.
Victoria Police FV Community Liaison Officers with teacher Zacharey Hope and Dorothy at the school. Our Rotary SAFE Families model of the "3R's" of prevention were embedded into each film as a beginning, middle and ending which worked very well.
Three prizes were given to the students:
More than 50 students, parents, teachers, Police, film makers, and Rotarians attended the school to view the films introduced by a member of each of the film making groups. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide access to the films as the students are underage for public promotion. The films will be shown to other schools in Victoria to provide the powerful messages from the young students to their peers.
We are completing the program at the Melbourne Montessori College, Caulfield in Term 3. Thank you Rotary Brighton North for your sponsorship of the program. With Rotary Werribee's wonderful donation of $14,000 to Rotary SAFE Families Towards Respectful Relationships, we are commencing the program at the Grange College, Werribee in Term 3 and the funding will allow more schools in the western area of Melbourne to have the opportunity to be part of Towards Respectful Relationships. We thank Rotary Caroline Springs for sponsoring the Lakeview Secondary School in Term 4. This program is available for any Club to sponsor at a local school. Contact Dorothy Gilmour - gilmour.dorothy@gmail.com for further details. Rotary SAFE Families is committed to making a difference in prevention of family violence for the sake of our children and grandchildren. Why not join us in this campaign? Remember: Abuse Prevention Begins With YOU and ME! |
