Join our Community Walk Against Family Violence

Published on 09 October 2023

Mildura Rural City Council’s annual Community Walk Against Family Violence returns next month, providing a chance for our community to come together and state very loudly that there’s simply No Good Reason to stand by and let family violence happen.

Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Gender Equity Helen Healy said this year’s community walk would coincide with national White Ribbon Day on Friday 17 November, starting in the Langtree Mall at midday.

The walk will take participants along Feast Street, down the Langtree Avenue connection and along Mildura’s riverfront.

It will conclude at the recently completed Powerhouse Place, where there will be a host of information stalls and displays from key local service providers involved in dealing with and preventing family and gendered violence.

The event will include the now traditional free community barbecue.

Cr Healy encouraged both the general community and local service providers to support the event.

“Our annual Community Walk Against Family Violence is a powerful and hugely successful way for us to raise awareness about family violence,” the Deputy Mayor said.

“It’s hard to miss hundreds of people marching through our city’s central business district in the middle of the day, which is why the more people who come out and support the event, the stronger the message that family violence needs to stop.

“Another vitally important part of our annual walk against family violence is the information we’re able to provide through the many service providers who continue to support the event.

“We’ve been fortunate in recent years to enjoy great support from these service providers, and I’d once again encourage these groups and organisations to contact us to get involved.

“Whether it’s victims reluctant to come forward who may be taking part in our community walk, or friends or relatives, by having information readily at hand it could prove invaluable in prompting them to reach out for help, or simply identifying that they are in fact victims.”

Cr Healy said the theme for White Ribbon Day this year was No Good Reason, emphasising that there’s no good reason for people to stand by and stay disengaged or indifferent to family violence.

“The theme for this year’s event is very appropriate for a number of reasons,” she said.

“Not only is there no good reason to stand by and let family violence continue to happen, but we sometimes hear perpetrators of family violence trying to make excuses or justification for their shocking behaviour, but the simple fact is, there is no good reason for family violence.”

For more information about this year’s event, or to become involved visit https://bit.ly/WhiteRibbonMildura

ENDS