We are thrilled to share that yesterday, the Ruah Centre for Women and Children was officially opened by the Hon Roger Cook MLA, Premier of Western Australia, alongside Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Hon Sabine Winton MLA, and Minister for Housing and Homelessness Hon John Carey MLA.
The seven-story, purpose-built facility was designed in consultation with Aboriginal Women Elders, as well as Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women with lived experience of family and domestic violence to ensure it is a place where women and their children can be safe, where they will feel welcome, where they can heal, and where they can start to rebuild their lives.
The centre’s name has been called the Angela Wright Bennett Centre – recognition of the Bennett family’s significant contribution to this project and to Ruah over the years.
It is home to Ruah’s Karlup Service – the first service of its kind in Australia, dedicated to offering comprehensive recovery and healing supports for women and their children affected by family and domestic violence.
Karlup, a Noongar Aboriginal word meaning “a place where you belong and feel safe,” embodies the essence of the Karlup Service.
Women and their children are now able to access a range of essential services under the same roof, including peer support from trained staff with lived experience, dedicated case managers (Koorta Guides), counselling for adults and children, legal assistance, bulk-billing general practice, dental care, alcohol and other drug support, employment and education training, financial aid, and housing support.
It also has 13 self-contained accommodation units which have been designed as safe, short-term accommodation to provide the secure and private environment essential for recovery and healing.
Ruah has a long history of supporting our community’s most vulnerable people – setting up Perth’s first soup kitchen on this very same site 65 years ago and opening the first women’s shelter and first Aboriginal women’s refuge.
It was just over five years ago that Ruah decided a bold new plan was needed if we are going to achieve the goal of ending family and domestic violence – and the vision for the Ruah Centre for Women and Children project was born.
With the support of visionary philanthropists, state and federal government grants, and the exceptional talent of Ruah’s team and partners, the first phase of this ambitious vision has now become a reality. As we celebrate this milestone, we recognise that this is just the beginning. There is still much work ahead as we continue striving for a community free from family and domestic violence.
“Ruah we will continue to lead the charge to end family and domestic violence – through research and evaluation, collaboration and strategic partnerships, development and testing of further ground-breaking initiations, as well as ongoing advocacy and education we will be able to transform the lives of thousands of women and children” said Debra Zanella, CEO of Ruah Community Services.
This project has been made possible thanks to funding and support from the Australian Government Department of Social Services, the Government of Western Australia through the Department of Communities and Lotterywest; Angela Wright Bennett Foundation; Brown-Neaves Investments; Busby Family Fund; Carcione Foundation; CFC Foundation; McCusker Charitable Foundation; Mineral Resources, Sisters of St John of God; Stan Perron Charitable Foundation; The Quercus Foundation; Ungar Family Foundation; and Wylie Foundation.