WIREANNUALREPORT

2013

Bringing information to life for women

1Bringing information to life for women

WIREANNUALREPORT

2013

CONTENTS2 Statistics at a glance 2012-2013

4 CEO’s Message

5 CHAIR’s Message

6 Bringing information to life for women

12 Training women to support other women

15 Reaching out to homeless women

16 Spreading the word about WIRE

18 Women in WIRE

BOARD

STAFF

VOLUNTEERS

21 Our funders, donors and sponsors

22 Concise Financial Report 2012-2013

24 Join our WIRE communityWOMEN’S INFORMATION

WIREWOMEN’SINFORMATIONAND REFERRAL EXCHANGE INC.

2 WIRE Women’s Information ANNUAL REPORT 2013

STATISTICS AT A GLANCE 2012-2013

3Bringing information to life for women

4 WIRE Women’s Information ANNUAL REPORT 2013

CEO’sMESSAGE

Samiro DOUGLAS

In 2013 we started to see the fruits of our labours with WIRE’s relocation and it has been very exciting and rewarding. In linewith part of WIRE’s strategic plan for 2011-2014 to increaseWIRE’s sustainability, we made the momentous decision in 2012to move to new premises on the west end of the Melbourne CBD.

It was really a great team effort to achieve this outcome. The WIRE team continued to provide services to women on a daily basis while Julie Kun our new Business DevelopmentManager and I entered the world of tradies. We were greatly assisted by our WIRE Volunteerand architect Karen Tanfield who was fantastic with guiding us through the world of fitouts. I learnt a lot about phone systems and the process of completing a fitout. And we all love the kitchen that Bunnings in Port Melbourne kindly donated! A big thank you Laurent andJared Franklin from Franklin Builders Pty Ltd for installing our new kitchen cabinets and ournew splashback.

While part of 2012 was focused on preparing our new home and packing up our old home,all of 2013 has involved settling into our new home, meeting our new neighbours, getting to know our neighbourhood and in particular spreading out into our much larger space. We’re glad that most of our volunteer team and regular users of the Women’s Information Centre made the journey with us. Now staff, volunteers and users can all enjoy our brightand airy Information Centre located on the same level as the rest of WIRE!

We all exhaled a collective breath of relief once we had arrived at our new home, but not forlong. We soon saw the commencement of our Homeless Women’s Lunch Program funded by the City of Melbourne, the hiring out of our very own Training Room, and the running ofnew workshops to improve economic outcomes for women. Developing new programs, running existing ones, and exploring other opportunities have certainly kept us busy.

Our phone room is as busy as ever and as always well managed by our amazing team ofphone workers. The Women’s Information Centre is abuzz with Job Coaching sessions, Computer Classes and our ICT Job Ready and Social Networking workshops.

Again I want to thank the fabulous team at WIRE who have embraced our new location withmuch creativity and openness. As the voice of WIRE to callers, our volunteer team continuetheir important work listening to and supporting the women who call us. We also have agreat team of administration volunteers who help us keep things humming organisationally.

We have welcomed three new Board members who add their skills and knowledge to our existing Board Team. Anne Smyth has once again expertly led the Board through this time of great change with courage, respect and dignity. Thank you to each and every one of youfor your support, time and commitment to the future direction of WIRE.

Special thanks go to Julie Kun our new Business Development Manager for her support in the past 12 months and her commitment to new ideas and a new future for WIRE. Thanks also go to the team at WIRE for making the move so smooth, and for your care and commitment to one another that makes the team so strong.

Each and everyone’s contribution goes toward making WIRE the great organisation that it is.

5

As I reflect on the last year I am very conscious of the blend ofcontinuity and change that characterises modern organisations.While WIRE faces the future and seeks to shape it as much aswe are able to, we are also very conscious of how important itis to remain grounded in WIRE’s daily contact with women andto be always guided by our purpose and mission. This paradoxrepresents a real challenge but one the Board and Managementwith the support of staff, volunteers and members relish. Our journey since the last AGM has been enriching and has also testedour strategic vision, our focus and our resilience. We find ourselvesin quite a different place—literally as well as metaphorically.

This journey is of course ongoing, but it is good to pause and acknowledge the achievements along the way, in particular, themove to our new premises on Spencer Street in West Melbourne.This was a thoroughly planned and considered process strategically,financially and operationally. We were clear that we needed to placeWIRE on a more sustainable footing to enable us to respond

strongly to the challenges all community organisations face. We also knew this meant we had tostrengthen our capacity as an organisation.

Our new location offers room to grow—through gaining more financial and practical independencewith our multi-purpose Training Room, by providing greater access to WIRE’s services for a wider rangeof women in our community especially those socially and economically disadvantaged, and by creatingnew opportunities to pursue our strategic priorities. In particular, we are now better positioned to provide responses and practical support that strengthens women’s economic security, opens up theiraccess to employment pathways and helps women to develop their financial literacy. All these are crucial factors that enable women to be more knowledgeable and confident as they strive to takecharge of their lives.

As a result of the move, our CEO Samiro now knows more than she ever wanted to know about mechanical ventilation, how to set up a telecommunication infrastructure, fitting kitchens and carpets—the list goes on! The move was a very demanding time for all involved and it is at these times we reallybecome aware of how much we rely on one another and our supporters; and how important that senseof teamwork and engagement is critical to success. I want to thank Samiro and her staff in particular,for working tirelessly to ensure that the move occurred as seamlessly as possible. On the first businessday after our move, WIRE opened its doors to welcome women and we recommenced our Telephone Support and Live Chat Support with no service disruption at all. This was a great achievement indeed.

I cannot thank enough, everyone who contributed to the success of this project—the Board, our CEO,our Business Development Manager Julie Kun who leapt into the deep end with the move having onlyjust been appointed to the new role, our fantastic staff and volunteers, as well as the many externalsuppliers who provided much needed material support. The commitment, goodwill and sheer hardwork offered by all was inspiring.

Once again I wish to pay a special tribute to our Board members who provided their expertise, insightand commitment to ensure that WIRE has a strong and forward thinking strategy, sound governancepractices, a supportive environment to enable our CEO to manage WIRE’s operations, and an unwaveringcommitment to the women and the community we serve. Our Board continues to be vital, engaged andvery hard working. We said goodbye to Cathy Donovan and Meaghan Noble this year—my thanks go to both for your wonderful contribution during your time at WIRE. We welcome Catherine Robson,Sarah Nieuwenhuysen and Lori Boys to the Board, and look forward to continuing our work in the greattradition of WIRE.

I would like to sincerely thank our funders from the Victorian Department of Human Services and theOffice of Women’s Affairs for their ongoing support and encouragement.

We all look forward to another busy and exciting year in 2014.

CHAIR’sMESSAGE

Anne SMYTHEWIRE Board of Governance

6 WIRE Women’s Information ANNUAL REPORT 2013

Bringing information

Call WIRE to talk to a woman who cares 1300 134 130As part of WIRE’s Victoria-wide women’s service, our Telephone Support Service received 7,643 calls from women of all ages and backgrounds across Victoria, andeven interstate, last year. Key issues facing women callers were family violence(28.18%), relationships (23.90%), employment/ education/ training (11.74%), housing(10.28%) and mental health issues especially anxiety, stress, fear and depression(7.09%). The average time of a phone call on family violence is 16 to 30 minutes long.

The top three main referrals given were to family violence services, legal advice/lawyers, and counsellors. According to our annual satisfaction survey, 97 per cent ofwomen surveyed said they were satisfied with the Telephone Support Service theyreceived. Here is what some women told us:

• I was only calling for a number, but the phone worker sounded so nice and mademe feel comfortable talking about my concerns. When I heard myself talking aboutwhat was happening, it made me realise how bad it actually was.

• It’s perfect. No other service like it.

• Nation-wide service would be great!

• I like what you are doing—just keep it going the way it is.

We even had feedback from a Human Resource Officer at another organisation thanking us for supporting one of their staff who had contacted our Telephone Support Service: ‘WIRE is great. Just today I got a phone call from a staff member who said she had spoken to WIRE and decided to call me. The staff member alreadyhad my name and contact details but I suppose she didn’t have the confidence to callme before... It is great that you had the knowledge to get her to call HR so that wecan really help her and make things better for her.’

Listening to each woman’s story and supporting herWhenever you contact WIRE Women’s Information— by phone, email, visiting in person or chatting online, you can be sure that your story as a woman will be heard, your strengths acknowledged and that you will be givenpractical and relevant options to choose from and move forward. No appointment needed, no personal detailsrecorded, and free!

At WIRE, we always take the time to listen to your story—we believe that every woman’s situation is unique, and ultimately you are the best person to make decisions about your life!

This is why in the last 12 months WIRE received 12,323 contacts from women (and those who support them) for free and confidential information, referrals and support on a wide range of issues including family violence, family relationships, housing, employment pathways, education and training options, and health.

WIRE’s free and confidential information, support and referral services for womenacross Victoria include:

• Telephone support 1300 134 130 Mondays to Fridays 9am to 5pm

• Face-to-face support Women’s Information Centre 372 Spencer Street, West Melbourne Mondays to Fridays 9.30am to 4.30pm

• Email support inforequests@wire.org.au (response within 2 working days)

• Livechat support www.wire.org.au Mondays to Fridays 9am to 5pm

• Website and printed publications www.wire.org.au

Cath’s story*When Cath rang WIRE, she was

struggling to find both a home anda job, and was feeling isolated

and alone as she was also new tothe area. She had been forced to

vacate her rental property recentlyafter an issue with her landlord,

and found that the semi-rural areashe lived in had very limited

employment opportunities and fewservices available to support her.

The WIRE Phone Worker Cath spokewith validated her experiences of

isolation and her having to manage on her own. Cath also

received information about localservices that may offer her

material aid, as well as practicalpublic housing information

including the number of her localtransitional housing service. Cathwas grateful for this information,

but mostly for the opportunity to speak with someone at length

about the ways that her circumstances were impacting her.

*Real names are not used for privacy and confidentiality reasons.

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to life for womenA word from Sheridon BYRNE, WIRE’s Service Delivery Coordinator

Last year, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with staff and volunteers as wemoved offices and set ourselves up in our new home in West Melbourne. It has beenexciting exploring new possibilities and meeting our new neighbours. Not only hasthis meant new networks but the increase in space has also given us the opportunityto try out new programs for women.

I am always grateful to have the chance to work with such talented and passionatevolunteers at WIRE. With new opportunities in the coming year and the support ofthis powerful group of women, we will continue to provide and further develop thistruly unique service that makes a real difference in the lives of Victorian women.

Get online support via email (inforequests@wire.org.au) or Live Chat www.wire.org.auSometimes women need a quick referral or some information, are unable to talk over the phone at home or at work, or are too busy to visit our Women’s Information Centre in West Melbourne. That’s why we also offer you the option of requesting information or voicing your queries by sending us an email, or using our Live Chat online support service.

Our Women’s Information Officers respond to all email support requests to inforequests@wire.org.au within 2 working days. In the last 12 months, we received409 emails—an increase in 160 emails from last financial year.

Our Live Chat online support is available at www.wire.org.au on weekdays from 9am to 5pm, and women can type in their queries anonymously and get an immediateand confidential response. Last financial year we received 203 contacts and a significantnumber of contacts were about family violence and family relationships.

Di’s story*Di contacted WIRE through Live

Chat while she was at work. Herpartner had been calling her

names, putting her down and onseveral occasions had hit her andeven tried to strangle her. For the

past month, he had been on ‘goodbehaviour’ as his parents had been

staying with them. However, hisparents have just gone back to

their country of origin and Di wasafraid of going home that night,and needed to talk to someone.After listening to DI’s story andtalking it through with her, we

identified Di’s partner’s behaviouras family violence and informed Di that this behaviour is illegal. Di said she was fearful and had

nobody around that she couldspeak to. We discussed a safety

plan with Di and helped her toidentify a way of staying safe that

night until she could contact support services the next day.

Di was able to call a friend andask to stay with them for one

night, and took down the CrisisService contact numbers in case

her partner pursued her that night.She also thought of family outside

of the local area that she couldstay with until she could get an

intervention order against herpartner. Di was grateful to be ableto talk through her situation with

someone while at work withoutanybody else finding out, and

just as importantly, without jeopardising her job.

*Real names are not used for privacy and confidentiality reasons.

WIRE is a good service with verygood listeners: this means there is someone otherthan family to speakto. I also like theanonymity—this is important.

“

8 WIRE Women’s Information ANNUAL REPORT 2013

Giving women a safe, comfortable spaceWomen’s Information CentreOur Women’s Information Centre continues to provide a safe, friendly and welcoming oasisfor women to use free services and facilities (no appointments needed), and attend free programs and seminars:

• Free WiFi, computer and internet access

• Safe space for women

• Face-to-face support and referrals

• Printed brochures and information sheets

• Free programs for women

You can drop by to discuss any personal concerns big or small, or simply get some brochures.You can check your emails or work on the computer, attend a business workshop, health seminar or Job Coaching session, or just take a break with a cup of tea. All in a safe and warm,women-only space!

Last year our Women’s Information Centre received 3,403 visits, 409 emails and 642 callsfrom women seeking assistance and support with a wide range of issues. Issues womenfaced included employment, education or training, housing, family violence, relationshipsand health.

About 29 per cent of women who visit WIRE spend 2 hours to 6.5 hours at WIRE.Besides using our free WiFi, computer and internet access, visitors also valuedthe opportunity to engage socially with other women, build their support or career networks, or improve existing skills and/or learn new ones by attendingWIRE’s free programs for women.

You were very caring—it is reallyimportant thatwomen can go somewhere that they feel safe with.

OUR NEW WOMEN’S INFORMATION CENTRE

In November 2012, WIRE’sWomen’s Information Centre moved from theground floor of the QueenVictoria Women’s Centre on Lonsdale Street to ournew, airy and sunlit West Melbourne premiseson 372 Spencer Streetto the delight of visitors, volunteers and staff.

Lucy’s story*When Lucy came to the Women’sInformation Centre for help, she

had been stalked for many months.She was very scared and fearful

of returning home from work, andof being at home on her own. A

man had been waiting in his caroutside her house on and off for

several months. The police had initially been

helpful. However, when the manwas approached by a police officer,

he claimed that he was on his way home from work and often

pulled over to make a call. Then he proceeded to accuse Lucy of harassing him. Since then the

police have been unhelpful, andLucy was both depressed and

angry that her life had beenchanged by this man’s behaviour.

We spoke to Lucy about a safetyplan including the option of takingout a personal safety order, keeping

a diary of events and ways of securing her house and ensuringher personal safety. We also gave

her some referrals to get legal advice and to get some emotionalsupport through counselling, bothof which she felt would be useful.

*Real names are not used for privacy and confidentiality reasons.

“Nice clean modern space. I felt welcome and shall returnfor more information!”“I love the new premises and layout!”

“

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Helping women build skills and share experiences Free programs for womenAt WIRE, we strongly believe in women’s resilience—every woman has the ability to takecharge of her own life and make her own decisions—and this forms the basis of our feministframework. One of the ways we support and empower women is by providing them the critical skills and knowledge to take control of their own lives. We also give them the opportunity to connect with other women!

In the past 12 months, we ran the following free programs for women:

Since we moved to our new and larger West Melbourne premises in November 2012, wehave more room to run and develop a wider range programs for women. Aside from runningongoing programs such as our monthly information seminars (kindly sponsored by NicholesFamily Lawyers) and weekly computer classes for women, we have been able to increase ourJob Coaching sessions to meet greater demand. We also ran Financial Literacy workshops,new ICT workshops such as Job Ready Workshops and Social Media Workshops funded bythe State Library of Victoria and even Yoga classes (funded by Docklands YMCA).

Giving women easy access to relevant information & online resourcesOur website www.wire.org.auTraffic to our WIRE website continued to grow in the past 12 months with total website hits increasing 35.58 per cent to 46,680 hits, and total page views increasing 27.21per centto 136,165 page views. The number of unique visitors also increased to 31,987—new visitorsto our website made up 66.47 per cent of all unique visitors in the last 12 months.

Our top 5 webpages were

1. WIRE’s Home Page

2. Violence Against Women

3. Information & Resources

4. Support & Referral

5. Training & Programs

Last year WIRE continued our Google Adwords campaigns using key search words to reach women who were unaware of WIRE or were seeking women’s services and support online. Our Google Adwords campaigns generated 780,463 impressions,and 11,193 clicks with an average search ranking position of 4. This ensured that women were able to find WIRE’s services more easily and quickly on a wide range of issues such as family violence, getting legal information or finding a counsellor.

Bringing information to life for women

I attended the career seminar today … it was so useful and educational. I really appreciated your

suggestions on job hunting and career direction … especiallywhen you talked about self-discovery and self-exploration asthe first step to finding a job and career direction. Wow!

• 11 Information Seminars• 53 Computer Classes• 33 Job Club/ Coaching sessions• 12 ICT Program sessions• 4 Crafternoon sessions

• 3 Yoga sessions• 3 Financial Literacy Workshops• 1 Blogging Workshop• Homeless Women’s Lunch Program

Mary’s story*Mary had moved from country

Victoria to Melbourne to escapefamily violence. Middle-aged withlittle work experience, she needed

to find work to support herself.When Mary first started to come

to our Women’s Information Centresix months ago, she was very

distressed and depressed, and feltoverwhelmed by everything in herlife. Mary did not want to face her

husband in court and was going to give up all her financial

and property rights—she justwanted it to be all over.

Initially, we supported Mary byhaving conversations with her

about what was happening in herlife and how she was feeling. When

she began to feel stronger, Maryenrolled in our Computer Class for

beginners, and also started attending Job Coaching sessions.

Mary is now enrolled in a Certificate III Course and is veryoptimistic about her life and jobprospects. She has also decided

that she is going to start the legalprocess to get a fair division of thefamily property, instead of walking

away with nothing.

*Real names are not used for privacy and confidentiality reasons.

Information Seminar topics:

• Assertiveness for women

• Preventing sexual assault

against children

• Infant mental health

• My partner has depression

• Parenting payment

• Women and small business

• Managing your money after

separation

• Mind, body and stress relief

• Women’s sexual wellbeing

• Creative meditation

• Women and superannuation “

Information booklets on women’s topicsBesides finding the latest information on WIRE’s services and programs on our website,women can read or download from our website any of WIRE’s 20 free information sheets and booklets that have been written in plain English to address specific women’s issues.Topics include family violence, getting legal advice, housing, and money and debt.

Some women may not have computer or internet access; others may prefer to have hardcopies for easy reference. Over the past 12 months, we also mailed out about 9,000 hardcopies of WIRE’s information sheets and booklets on various topics to community organisationsand services across Victoria as well as to individual women. Hard copies are usually requestedby phone, email or fax.

Our top 5 publications requested:

1. Young people who use violence in the home (1,456 copies)

2. Dealing with a housing crisis—needing help right now!(Housing Info Booklet for Women in Victoria Book 1) (1,324 copies)

3. Finding your next home—looking past a housing crisis!(Housing Info Booklet for Women in Victoria Book 2) (1,237 copies)

4. Getting legal advice (766 copies)

5. Domestic violence (745 copies*)

*Printed Domestic violence sheets ran out in December 2012 and we are currently seeking funding for an update and reprint.

In all our WIRE publications, we address women’s issues from a woman’s perspective, writein a warm and friendly manner, and ensure that the information presented is relevant, accurate and easily accessible. In the past year, we have successfully sought funding for andpublished three new information booklets:

1. Young people who use violence in the home

2. Dealing with a housing crisis—needing help right now!(Housing Info Booklet for Women in Victoria Book 1)

3. Finding your next home—looking past a housing crisis!(Housing Info Booklet for Women in Victoria Book 2)

Information booklet: Young people who use violence in the homeIn August 2012, we updated and reprinted Young people who use violence in the home,thanks to a grant from the City of Melbourne. We also thank Jo Howard and Lisa Abbott (PenDAP & Youth Services, Peninsula Health) for their expert advice.

Handling a child who is violent or engages in abusive behaviour can be difficult, especiallywhen many risk factors can aggravate their behaviour. This information booklet gives practical tips on identifying abusive and/or violent behaviour in young people, how to dealwith it and where to get further support for both you and your children.

Over 1,300 copies have been distributed to women and community services.

WIRE Women’s Information ANNUAL REPORT 201310

Housing information booklets for women in Victoria (Books 1 & 2)On 26 February 2013, WIRE’s much-needed Housing Information Booklets for Women in Victoria (Books 1 & 2) were finally launched by Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Community Services Mrs Andrea Coote MLC. These handy A5-sized booklets were developed to help women navigate Victoria’s often confusing housing system:

• Book 1 Dealing with a housing crisis—needing help right now! is for women who findthemselves in crisis, with either no housing or facing the risk that she will very soon become homeless.

• Book 2 Finding your next home—looking past a housing crisis! helps women look towardfinding future homes, and shows women how they can avoid facing a housing crisis again.

These booklets were produced in response to the growing number of calls and visits WIRE hasbeen receiving from women who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.We realised that there was a huge information gap about the housing sector in Victoria, notjust for the women seeking housing but also for the community service workers supportingthem. We decided to respond to this urgent need by producing an information sheet to helpwomen understand and navigate the often confusing and jargon-laden housing system inVictoria. After a year of intense research and writing, we published two housing booklets—one for women needing housing immediately, and another for women looking for longer-term housing.

WIRE’s booklets not only explain in plain English the different housing terms used and thehousing options available in Victoria (such as public /social /community housing), they alsohighlight the dire housing situation where one in two people who request immediate accommodation are turned away each night because of high demand and under-resourcing.

These booklets help women to:

• Learn how to access short-term/longer-term housing that is available in Victoria

• Understand benefits and disadvantages of different housing options

• Decide the best housing option for her own situation

• Manage and reduce stress when finding a place to live.

This huge project was kindly funded by the City of Melbourne and the Lord Mayor’s CharitableFoundation as well as by generous donors to WIRE’s 2012 Housing Appeal, which raised$3,589.24. We are also grateful for the generous contributions of time and expertise fromWIRE volunteers and supporters including members of the community and housing sector.

In the four months following the launch 2,561copies have been distributed to many womenand community services across Victoria.

Grants received for other information booklets and researchLast financial year, we also applied for and received funding for two more WIRE information booklets:

• To update and print Stalking information booklet – kindly funded by Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation

• To develop and print Financial abuse in family violence information booklet – kindlyfunded by Victoria Law Foundation

Both information booklets will be published in the coming 2013/2014 financial year.

We also received funding from Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) to conduct a research program to better understand how to inform women about financial abuse in the context of family violence.

Bringing information to life for women

Our WIRE WomenFrom left: Carolyn Ingvarson,

Samiro Douglas, Rosemary Varty, Anne Smyth and MP Andrea Coote

Contributors to WIRE’s Housing BookletsFrom left: Kate Hawkins, MP Andrea Coote,

Lin Tobias, Mi Fon Lew, Samiro Douglas, Jessica Hunter & Jeanette Large

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Bringing WIRE’s feminist model to lifeAt WIRE we use our own well-developed feminist model for training women in the skills of listening, supporting and empowering women. We also explore issues that women commonly call us about, such as family violence and family law, and place them into abroader social context.

WIRE’s feminist model acknowledges the inequalities women face daily in society, and involves listening and validating each woman’s individual experiences so that she feels safe and heard. We also strive to empower each woman by giving information in a clear and friendly way, and by giving her relevant options and choices that will enable her to take charge of her life.

Telephone Support Worker TrainingWIRE’s Telephone Support Worker Training continues to be in high demand not only due toWIRE’s strong reputation as a women’s organisation within Victoria’s community sector, butalso thanks to WIRE trainees sharing their empowering WIRE experiences with their friends,family and colleagues.

Last financial year, 59 women successfully completed WIRE’s accredited Telephone SupportWorker Training Program, which can take up to six months to complete and includes at leastseven volunteer shifts in the phone service. We welcome these women to our growing community of amazing WIRE women who help to support, empower and inform hundreds of women across Victoria. We also congratulate our five volunteers who had the opportunityto receive further training and support to fulfil their new roles as Team Leaders.

Every year a significant number of successful WIRE trainees go on to paid employment withinthe community sector or to other education pathways. For many others, the experience oftraining at WIRE is not only a career stepping-stone; it is also a personal journey of learningand self-discovery.

Rebecca CALLAHAN WIRE Trainer: The dedication and commitment of our Volunteer PhoneWorkers towards providing this vital service to women of Victoria is extraordinary.

Training women to WIRE Women’s Information ANNUAL REPORT 201312

Tamara’s experience training as a WIRE

Phone VolunteerWhen I started training at WIRE

I was recently out of a DV Refugeand had low self-esteem and very

little confidence. During the training my confidence grew, and

with the support of Rebecca and Sheridon I completed the

Certificate IV in Community ServicesWork. The wonderful women

at WIRE helped me to find my self-esteem and encouraged me.

I am now studying the Diploma of Community Services Work,

something I never thought I coulddo before I started at WIRE.

So thank you to everyone who contributes to this

wonderful organisation!

I enjoyed the Team Leadertraining, particularly

the extra articles we weregiven to read concerning

feminist methods of leadership and instruction.

And I enjoy being in a supportive role and working

with a group of amazingwomen. Janet STEVENS

I love seeing women grow.Janet LE CORNU

What our Trainees say• I would suggest ALL women do the training, if they are at the right stage of their lives.

It is mind-broadening and eye-opening. The most educational experience I have had. Very valuable and I will not forget it!

• The past ten weeks have been a good opportunity for personal growth and I’m very grateful to WIRE for this chance.

• It’s a very empowering and fulfilling experience as well as challenging. I think there is a lot of important information to be taken away from the training.

• I have learnt so much and have been very impressed with the trainees’ knowledge. I’m so pleased I was accepted into the course.

• I’m so grateful for having completed the WIRE training program. I’ve felt accepted andsupported each time I walk in the door. I look forward to improving and developing my understanding and relationship with the WIRE model and the feminist framework.

Helping community workers understand financial abusein family violenceProfessional development workshops: Understanding financial abuse inthe context of family violence.WIRE has a long history of providing well-regarded training workshops and in-house trainingto other organisations. Thanks to funding by Consumer Affairs Victoria in 2012, WIRE developed program resources and delivered state-wide workshops for women who have experienced financial abuse in the context of family violence, as well as professionals development workshops for community service workers and professionals supporting thesewomen. Our professional development workshops ‘Helping women to understand financialabuse in the context of family violence’ received an overwhelming response with a total of97 participants.

Since completing this project WIRE has run a further seven workshops for the sector in 2013,including three workshops in Tasmania on behalf of the Hobart Women’s Health Centre. Besides generating income, these workshops also enabled staff in other organisations tolearn about WIRE, and better understand the issues that are important to us, such as financialabuse in the context of family violence and gender equality.

What participants say• Extremely practical and accessible information. Very, very good.

• Excellent workshop and workbook.

• An excellent and informative training course. I would highly recommend to clients and colleagues.

Leah’s experience as WIRE Team Leader

WIRE’s supportive environmentgave me the confidence to

undertake the Team Leader training. I’m really glad I took on

the challenge because it hasturned into a new skill for me…

This role gives me the opportunityto hear the calls from a different

perspective… and has given me agreater understanding of the WIRE

model and feminist framework.One of the things I find most rewarding is giving feedback

and support that help build theconfidence and learning of phone

workers, especially those on evaluated and probationary shifts.

support other women13

RECOGNISING OUR EXPERTISE AND WORK IN FINANCIALABUSE AND WOMEN’S ECONOMIC SECURITY.WIRE received the MoneySmart Week Highly Commended Award for our Women & Money Month project (2008–2010) on Monday 3 September 2012. The Women & Money Month project was run in partnership with Queen Victoria Women’s Centre (QVWC) and the Office of Women’s Policy, and was part of WIRE’s ongoing efforts to help Victorian women better understand money and build a more financially secure future. Clearly there was a need for the program and it’s fantastic that WIRE’s efforts are recognised.

WIRE’s Smartboard™ Appeal 2013To make sure our Training Room has up-to-date equipment, we ran WIRE’s 2013 Smartboard™ Appeal from April to July 2013 to raise funds towards the purchase and installation of an interactive and electronic whiteboard—a Smartboard™ that is currentlyin use in many school classrooms in Victoria.

Thanks to the generosity of our appeal donors $3,265 was raised. We are alsograteful to the QBE Foundation for making up the difference in funds needed to purchase and install a Smartboard™.

We are certainly looking forward to having this modern learning equipment in our new Train-ing Room in coming months. This will not only benefit women attending WIRE’s trainingcourses and public education programs, it will also be available for the use of communitygroups and organisations hiring WIRE’s Training Room.

Interested in hiring WIRE’s new Training/Meeting Room at reasonable rates?

Call Kate Whiting on 9348 9416 (Option 6) or email finance@wire.org.au

Training women to support other women

WIRE Women’s Information ANNUAL REPORT 201314

OUR NEW TRAINING ROOM

‘Having our own TrainingRoom and having all of WIRE on the same levelmeant that trainees in 2013 have had a far more integrated training experience. They have had greater opportunities to interact and work withWIRE staff both service delivery and operational.’ Rebecca CALLAHAN WIRE Trainer

Boardroom style

Theatre style

Homeless Women’s Lunch Program PilotFunded by the City of Melbourne, this program pilot connected women who were homelessor at risk of homelessness with other women and support services, and offered them opportunities for employment and education pathways as well as inclusion in social activities.

Led by WIRE’s Project Officer Anna Andersson, our Women’s Lunch Program Pilot ran for 11weeks at WIRE’s Safe Spaces Room from 15 April to 26 July 2013 Mondays to Fridays between11am and 3pm. Women were welcome to a free lunch and an opportunity to socialise, chatand participate in social activities in a safe, comfortable space that was free from judgementand violence. For many participants, our Safe Spaces Room became the lounge room theydidn’t have—a space to relax, share new experiences and make new friends.

Over this period, 54 women (including 3 children) made 166 visits to the Lunch Program. At least half of these women visited more than once, and several became regular participants.Free program activities ranged from music, art, knitting and even yoga at WIRE, seven excursions to museums, art galleries, the aquarium and the zoo, as well as to the movies.

WIRE’s Lunch Program Pilot was particularly relevant for women living in precarious and/orunsafe housing. Many program participants initially did not identify themselves as homelessas they believed that only sleeping rough could be considered homelessness, thus had notaccessed any homelessness support services prior to attending the WIRE Lunch Program.Through this program, Project Officer Anna made 29 referrals (17 to WIRE services and 12 toexternal services) to women needing support with housing, education, employment and material aid.

One proud moment for us was when a regular participant stopped coming to the program because she had started attending a full-time training course. Other participants also cameless frequently when they began attending other WIRE programs such as our ICT Job Readyworkshops and Job Coaching sessions, as well as external programs. The program is clearlysuccessful in opening up employment and training pathways for women struggling with housing issues.

With the success of WIRE’s Lunch Program Pilot, the City of Melbourne is now funding WIRE’sAMICA Women’s Lunch Club, which runs on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between11.30am and 3pm. For more information call Anna on 9348 9416 (Option 2) or emailamica@wire.org.au. All women and children are welcome!

What participants say• If I’m at home I just sit and think about everything that has happened to me and I get sad,

really sad… But now after coming here today I feel happy.

• There aren’t any other places out there just for women.

• I’ll bring my daughter next week; she would need a place like this as well.

• Talking to you gave me the courage to go and deal with a situation I needed to sort out.

• Thanks for listening to me.

• I feel much more comfortable here than I have been feeling in other places.

• It feels safe here.

‘Every day I get the opportunity to support women

of all age groups who comefrom all different culturalbackgrounds. I have the

privilege of witnessing womenconnect with others over a

cuppa or an artwork. No dayis the same—I don’t knowwho will walk through the

door on that day, where theywill be coming from or whattheir story will be… But I doknow one thing for sure and

that is WIRE truly is connecting women.’

Anna ANDERSSONWIRE Project Officer

Reaching out to homeless women

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Mandala: An artwork created by women participants of WIRE’s Lunch Program

Riding high on the airwaves WIRE continued our low budget community radio campaign with 221 paid advertisingspots (30 seconds) on 3CR Community Radio 855 AM and Triple R Melbourne Independent Radio RRR 102.7 FM. Over the past 12 months, we also complementedWIRE’s paid radio spots by running free community service announcements (CSAs)and giving radio interviews on seven other community radio stations:

• 3CR Community Radio 855 AM (CSAs & 2 Interviews)

• JOY 94.9FM Community Radio (CSAs & 3 Interviews)

• 96.5 Inner FM Community Radio (CSAs)

• 3WBC Boroondara Community Radio 923 FM (CSAs)

• KISS FM, Melbourne (CSAs)

• SYN, Melbourne (CSAs)

• Southern FM, Mentone (CSAs)

• 3ZZZ (Interview)

We thank JOY FM for their free CSA to help promote the launch of our new HousingInformation Booklets. This CSA was also aired at the following regional communityradio stations:

• Bendigos Best Sport, Bendigo

• 3BBR FM, Drouin

• The Pulse FM, Geelong

• WYN FM, Werribee

• UG FM, Upper Goldbourne

Being social Facebook and Twitter were lively and effective forums for exchanging views andnews with our Facebook and Twitter followers, and also with other like-minded community organisations and services. Here are our top five Facebook posts fromJanuary to June 2013:

1. Go4Zero campaign to eliminate violence in Victoria (7:23:20 PM 20/02/2013)

2. Using violence against anyone is wrong and a crime. Legal consequences must reflect this in no uncertain terms. (7:23:4 PM 26/03/2013)

3. Congratulations to NAB for offering all their staff paid domestic violence leave—agreat example for other corporations and organisations to follow! (9:05 PM 6/2/13)

4. 'It takes an average victim of domestic violence about six attempts before theyleave their partner, according to those who work in the field.' (6:38 PM 3/19/13)

5. Fabulous article by Samuel Jones about embracing feminism—and yes he is a man(i.e. not a woman)! (6:19:15 PM 22/05/2013)

Spreading the word

• Inner FM, Heidelberg

• 3SER, Cranbourne

• 3MFM, Inverloch

• KLFM, Bendigo

• North West FM, Glenroy

WIRE Women’s Information ANNUAL REPORT 201316

WIRE’s social media presence has continued to grow steadily in the past 12 months.Here are our social media statistics from 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2013:

Twitter @wirewomensinfo

• 608 Tweets posted

• 174 mentions/ retweets

• 518 Twitter followers (30 June 2013); 60.37% increase from a year ago

Facebook www.facebook.com/WIREwomensinformation

• 538 Facebook Likes (30 June 2013); 93.2% increase from a year ago

• 91% Facebook fans are female

* 31% female fans are aged 25 to 34 years

* 39% female fans are aged 35 to 54 years

* 9% female fans are aged 55+ years

Voicing women’s concerns Media releases & coverage• Media Release: Racism stops with you (12/6/13)

• Media Release: Women’s equality far from a reality (7/4/13)

• Media Release: Launch of Housing Info Booklets for Women in Victoria (26/2/13)

• Melbourne Leader: Women’s Service Still Helping Out On Call In New Location(13/3/13)

• Melbourne Leader: WIRE Finds New Location (11/3/13)

• newmatilda.com: Violence Puts Women On The Street (8/3/13)

• www.redaware.org.au: YEAH (Youth Empowerment Against HIV/AIDS): International Women’s Day with WIRE (8/3/13)

• volunteeringvictoria.org.au: Interview of WIRE Phone Support Volunteer BelindaKerrison (7/3/13)

Protesting men’s violence against womenOn 14 February 2013 Sheridon and WIRE

volunteers Natalia, Philippa and Sheryl dancedtheir protest against violence towards women and

girls in Melbourne’s Federation Square for One Billion Rising, an annual day of action against

violence towards women.

WIRE e-bulletins• Fortnightly

e-newsletter to over3,000 subscribers

• Bringing womenevents, opportunitiesand jobs in Victoria

• 23 electronic issuesfrom No. 99 to No. 121.

Las Chicas Link• Seasonal e-publication

for volunteers and staff

• Sharing personal experiences, favouriterecipes and news

• Three issues: 2012Spring (September2012), 2013 Summerissue (March 2013) and2013 Autumn (May2013).

HotWIRE• Biannual newsletters

to WIRE members andsupporters

• Reporting WIRE’s latestnews and events

• Two Issues: No. 21 (October 2012) and No. 22 (March 2013).

about WIRE17

BRINGING YOU NEWS AND VIEWS DIGITALLY!

Anne SMYTHCHAIRAnne has an extensive background in leadership andorganisational development,education and research. Shehas a passionate commitmentto supporting the work of thehealth and community sectors and the many wonderful people and organisations who work so hard to strengthen our community. She is especiallycommitted to supportingwomen to flourish and beable to take charge of theirlives. Anne is currently an organisational consultant, educator and researcher inthe fields of management and leadership capability development, change andtransition, organisational governance, coaching/ mentoring and social research.

Ingrid WILSONDEPUTY CHAIRIngrid joined the Board in2010 and was appointedDeputy Chair in 2011. With a Bachelor of Arts in Crimi-nology and a PostgraduateDiploma in Law, Ingrid hasover 15 years' experience in policy and managementroles in government in Australia (Federal and State)and in the UK (local govern-ment), and more recently inthe not-for-profit sector. She has a strong interest inwomen's issues and hasprevious board experienceon the Board of theWomen's EnvironmentalNetwork in the UK. She iscurrently undertaking a PhD full-time on preventingviolence against womenwith Mother & Child HealthResearch, La Trobe University.Ingrid has two girls in primary school.

Geraldine ALLENTREASURERGeraldine joined the boardin 2008 and is a CPA with a double degree in Accountancy and HotelManagement. She has 15years’ experience working in corporate finance in research, health and not-for-profit sectors. She is currently Finance Managerat Fight Cancer Foundation.

Amy CATOSECRETARY & PUBLIC OFFICERAmy joined the Board inJune 2010. In 2011, Amytook on the dual officebearer roles of WIRE BoardSecretary and Public Officer.Amy is a Director for AQAVictoria and Chair of ESH’sCSR Committee. She is currently in a senior management role for aglobal recruitmentcompany.

Women in WIRESTAFFChief ExecutiveOfficer: Samiro DOUGLASBusiness Development Manager:Julie KUN(From September 2012)Training Coordinator: Rebecca CALLAHANFinance and Administration Coordinator:Kate WHITINGCommunication Coordinator:Mi Fon LEWTelephone Service Coordinator:Martine CRIBBES(Left August 2012)Service Delivery Coordinator:Sheridon BYRNE(From August 2012)Women’s Information Centre Officers:Sally MARSDENJayanthi BALAKRISHNA(Left March 2013)Gemma MCKIBBIN(Left January 2013, nowpart of our casual roster)Shannon BROWNMoira DARLING(From April 2013)Women’s Lunch Project Officer:Anna ANDERSSON(From April 2013)

BOARD OF MANAGEMENT

WIRE Women’s Information ANNUAL REPORT 201318

Ronniet MILLIKENBOARD MEMBERRonniet joined the Board inOctober 2009. She has broadexperience as in-house legalcounsel, company secretaryand board of managementroles across the not-for-profit, private and governmentsectors, and is currently a solicitor. Ronniet has oneyoung adult son.

Nicole LYNCHBOARD MEMBERNicole joined the Board inSeptember 2010. She worksin education policy for theState of Victoria, with experience in strategic policyacross school, vocational andhigher education sectors especially with Commonwealth-State relations. She has abackground in employmentand industrial relations lawand is experienced in communications training.

Pauline TAYLORBOARD MEMBERPauline is an independent Finance and Economics Consultant who is committedto helping women better understand and managetheir finances. She deliverswebinars, seminars andworkshops on financial management for women,particularly on superannua-tion and retirement planning.Prior to this Pauline was aSenior Adviser with the Victorian Government and a business consultant.

Meaghan NOBLEBOARD MEMBERMeaghan has over 14 years’experience in financial services, and researched financial services tailored for women in the past fiveyears. She has a Bachelor ofBusiness (InternationalTrade) and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA)from Monash University.Meaghan is passionateabout addressing women’sfinancial needs and helpingthem overcome financialchallenges.

Catherine DONOVANBOARD MEMBERCathy re-joined the Board in2012. With a background inwomen’s policy, workforce participation programs, education and training, she developed policy andprograms for early childhood,schools and the vocational education and training sector. She currently manages Access and Equityprograms and policy withinDEECD. Before 2000, sheworked in the TAFE and ACE sector.

Catherine ROBSONBOARD MEMBERCatherine joined the Board in June 2013. A Certified Financial Planner and with morethan 16 years’ experience,Catherine is the foundingprincipal of boutique planningfirm Affinity Private. As themother of two primary schoolaged children, Catherine ispassionate about helpingAustralian women achieveeconomic empowerment and take leadership roles increating sustainable workpractices.

Lori BOYSBOARD MEMBERLori joined the Board in June2013. She is experienced instrategic planning, projectmanagement, systems development, implementationand coaching and leadership.With a background in all aspectsof Workers’ Compensation,Injury Management, Healthand Safety and people management she has a realpassion for helping people.

Sarah NIEUWENHUYSENBOARD MEMBERSarah joined the Board inJune 2013. She has a law degree and spent nine yearsin private practice before joining the public service,where she has held policyand management roles.Sarah is currently the executive manager at VictoriaLegal Aid and is expecting her first child in October.

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VOLUNTEERSVolunteers are WIRE’s lifeblood. Last year our WIRE volunteers spent 6,881 hours of their time at WIRE informing, supporting and giving referrals to Victorianwomen—the equivalent of 3.5 full-time paid positions.Without them we would not be able to provide WIRE’sexisting services and programs to women across Victoria.

Equally important is our small but dedicated team of Administrative Volunteers. They helped to keep the officerunning smoothly by performing a wide range of administrative tasks, including doing research and dataentry, assisting with WIRE’s E-bulletin and website, andmailing out WIRE publications and promotional materialto women and community services.

What do you love about being aWIRE volunteer and what keeps youcoming back?ALICE: At WIRE, I connect with a diverse range of

inspirational woman. I receive unconditional supportand feel safe to be my authentic self. This is the mostwelcoming and accepting organisation that I have everknown.

MEGAN: I love that I can transform distressed women inoften confronting, difficult situations into calmer,hopeful and usually very grateful people, using the resources, learned skills and constant support thatWIRE offers.

MARY: Initially when I trained in 2006, it was to improvemy skill levels, and make a contribution to social capital…What I now love about WIRE, having spentnearly eight years on board, is the way it walks thetalk. I like the way 'best practice' in the phone roomactually reflects the WIRE model, with co-operation,support, sharing and inclusiveness evident amongphone workers and WIRE staff. Above all, I love thewomen with whom I share my shifts—their warmth,friendship and the strong feeling of collegiality weshare. Our time together is something I look forwardto. I can't imagine my life without WIRE in it.

ANASTASIA: I love the feeling of being a part of somethingbigger, being connected with Melbourne in a way thatis meaningful for me, and meeting and supportinggreat women along the way. It's just a wonderful, comfortable and fun place to be and adds to my life.

JOANNE: I love hearing relief in the caller’s voice thatsomeone is listening, does understand and cares.

Phone VolunteersAlice Parlitsos Alison KellyAlissa RanieriAnastasia ColeAnne-lise Ah-fat (Team Leader)Belinda KerrisonCagla RifatClare ChudacekCrina VirgonaDanielle LinternElena LeddraElizabeth Maddison (Team Leader)Emma MenkinoskaFelicity EllisHeather SmithHeidi KlaesiImmogen O'ConnorIrene HudspithIvana De SimoneJacqueline DacyJaffa Goebel WithersJanet Stevens (Team Leader)Janet Le Cornu (Team Leader)Jenna ReedykJessica Stott (Team Leader)Jill McDonald (Team Leader)Joanne BakerKaren TanfieldKate Volard (Team Leader)Leah Zelencich (Team Leader)Lorraine HarleyLouise BourkeLucille HughesLydia Ke Xin Fong Lyn TennysonMargaret PurdeyMaria KatergarisMarie MacdonaldMary BryanMontserrat Medina Megan RuleNafisa Yussf Natalia SopelarioNava SerraNginder KaurNina Jankelson

Patrycja NedziakPhilippa WilsonRebecca LuiRhianne CorkRonnit SchreiberSamara HackettSarah AbbasSarah TomilsonSayo FujitaSheryl FurmanSusan CamilleriTamara RogersToscha FranklinTyrell Heathcote (Team Leader)Vicki OlsenYoke Fausten

Job Club/Coaching VolunteersAmy CatoCaitlin Burns (Square Peg Careers)Carolyn FishlockFelicity MclaughlinKirsten Majidi (Career Mastery)Melita Long (Green Tomato)Raelene Campbell (Career: Take 2)

Computer Tutor VolunteerRosemary Landau

ICT Program VolunteersJanet StevensNatalia SopelarioRosemary Landau

Administrative VolunteersAnnie LeCagla RifatFederica ImmanuelIrina Zhelezniakova Jhilik AvramMahrukh MaliksMichelle Chong

Student placementsAnastasia ColeNafisa YussfTamara Rogers

WIRE Women’s Information ANNUAL REPORT 201320

FUNDERS DONORS

&SPONSORS

WIRE’s RelocationA big THANK YOU to all who havekindly contributed so far to WIRE’srelocation and new office fitout inWest Melbourne. Every bit (andevery connection) helps!

Karen Tanfield from ARG Architects, Fairfield, for all her time, effort and expertise in helping us find a new home and in designing our new office fitout

Laurent and Jared Franklin from Franklin Builders Pty Ltd forinstalling our new kitchen cabinetsand our new splashback

Liam Jones from Fowles Auctionsfor a discount on our carpet

Office of Women’s Policy (now Office of Women’s Affairs) for $20,000 towards relocation andrefitting costs

Russell Thorsen from ISS (nowFlick-Anticimex) for donating feminine hygiene services for our toilets at cost/charity rate (no profit)on a yearly contract

Sally Davey from Bunnings fordonating a new set of kitchen cabinets and a partial installation

WIRE Staff and Board for their generous donations of kitchen appliances and equipment, food,time and money

And all the wonderful WIRE Volunteers and staff who helpedwith the packing and unpacking before and after the move, and made it all happen!

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Key FundersDepartment of Human Services—Children, Youth and Families Division

Office of Women’s Policy (now Office of Women’s Affairs)

WIRE Women’s Information’s Telephone Support Service and Women’s Information Centreare supported by the Victorian State Government.

WIRE Donors & MembersOur heartfelt thanks to all who have generously donated funds to WIRE, signed up as WIREMembers, and those who kindly helped us raise funds for our WIRE SmartboardTM Appeal2013. We are also grateful to the QBE Foundation for their donation towards the purchaseand installation of the SmartboardTM.

Project FundingAdam Miles from CGU Insurance for assisting with Sharepoint

City of Melbourne for funding the Homeless Women’s Lunch Program Pilot

City of Melbourne for funding the update and printing of Young people who use violence inthe home information booklet, and the printing of the Housing Information Booklets 1 & 2 for Women in Victoria

Consumer Affairs Victoria for funding the development of ‘Helping women get control oftheir money after family violence’ project and delivery of state-wide workshops

Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) for a research grant to conduct research on how to inform women about financial abuse inthe context of family violence

Doutta Galla Community Health Service staff who attended Crafternoon sessions (WIC)

NEC Australia for funding our Australia Broadband for our Seniors program

Lord Mayor Charitable Foundation for funding the development of Housing InformationBooklets 1 & 2 for Women in Victoria, as well as the update and printing of the Stalkinginformation booklet

Nicholes Family Lawyers for funding our information seminars (July 2012–June 2013)

State Library of Victoria for our Community ICT Skills Grant (Digital social connection for senior citizens, and Computer Literate and Job Ready Training)

Victoria Law Foundation for funding the development and printing of the Financial abuse infamily violence information booklet

YMCA Docklands for sponsoring our Yoga for Women program

Davis Advisory for their pro bono legal advice

Bringing information to life for women

CONCISE FINANCIAL REPORT

WIRE Women’s Information ANNUAL REPORT 201322

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2013

23Bringing information to life for women

WIRE Women’s Information ANNUAL REPORT 201324

Become a WIRE memberShow your support for WIRE by becoming a member. It only costs $50 or $25 (concession) per year to join. You will receive our biannual HotWIRE and invitations to WIRE events including the Annual General Meeting.

You can now join online at www.wire.org.au/get-involved/membership/ or by calling (03) 9348 9416 (Option 6).

VolunteerIf you are over 21 years old with good communication skills and are open to diversity,you might like to volunteer in our phone service and Women’s Information Centre.You need to complete our training and be able to commit to a four-hour shift (duringbusiness hours) per week for at least a year. Call 1300 134 130 for more informationand to register your interest.

You can also volunteer in other ways at WIRE:

• Join our volunteer board

• Offer your professional services to us

• Share your professional expertise by helping to run WIRE programs or presentingseminars or workshops for women

• Help with administrative tasks in the Women’s Information Centre and/or the office.

Interested? Simply call (03) 9348 9416 (Option 6) to discuss the possibilities, or email your details and area of interest to wire@wire.org.au

Are you a professional?Apply to be added to WIRE’s professional register. Many women who contact WIRE are looking for a femaledoctor, lawyer, counsellor or other professionals to support them. For this reason, we are always looking toadd to our register of female practitioners.

If you would like to register, you can find information andforms at www.wire.org.au/get-involved/professionals-register/ under ‘Get Involved’ or call (03) 9348 9416 (Option 2) to find out more. While there is no set registration fee, your donation would be greatly appreciated.

Sponsor usYour organisation can play an important part by sponsoringand supporting one of our many activities, publicationsand projects, such as the printing of information sheets,running our public education and training programs,improving our facilities such as helping to equip WIRE’straining room, and undertaking research and advocacy.

To find out more about sponsoring an aspect of WIRE’swork, please contact Julie Kun on (03) 9348 9416 (Option 8) or email jkun@wire.org.au.

JOIN OURWIRE

COMMUNITY!

Are you passionate about supporting and empowering

WIREANNUALREPORT

2013

Victorian women?Do you love WIRE’s work and want to help?

DONATE WIRE is the only independent state-wide generalist information service run for womenby women in Australia. We receive fundingfrom the State Government but we rely ongrants and donations from organisations and individuals to help us extend our services andspread the word about WIRE.

Donate online at www.givenow.com.au/WIRE• Become a monthly donor: For as little as

$10 a month—that’s less than the cost of a coffee a week—you can help WIRE supportother women in Victoria. It’s quick, easy tomanage and you can cease your monthly donation at any time. All monthly donationsabove $2.00 are tax deductible as well.

• Make a one-off donation: Prefer to make justone donation for now? Sure, that’s great too!All donations big and small will certainly helpWIRE make a difference in other women’s lives.And you’re always welcome to donate againdown the track.

You can also donate by calling Kate WHITING on (03) 9348 9416 (Option 6).

Women’s Information and Referral Exchange Inc. is aregistered Public Benevolent Institution.

All donations above $2.00 to WIRE are tax deductibleunder section 78(4) of the Income Tax Assessment Act (1936).

Thank you!

CREDITSEDITOR Mi Fon Lew WIRE Communication CoordinatorDESIGN & PRODUCTIONLin Tobias La Bella Design & Lorna Hendry Text & TypePHOTOGRAPHY Gabriella Favretto, Catherine Grey and WIREThank you to all our volunteer photo models too!PRINTER Classic Colour Melbourne EDITION 100 units October 2013

Women’s Information and Referral Exchange Inc. Reg. No. A122 ABN 98 957 157 895WIRE Women’s Information ©2013

‘Every day I get the opportunity to support women of all age groupswho come from all different cultural backgrounds. I have theprivilege of witnessing women connect with others over a cuppa or an artwork. No day is the same—I don’t know who will walk throughthe door on that day, where theywill be coming from or what theirstory will be… But I do know onething for sure and that is WIREtruly is connecting women.’Anna ANDERSSON WIRE Project Officer

Women’s Information