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Sculpture Supports Women’s Refuge
NATIONAL COLLECTIVEof
INDEPENDENT WOMEN’S REFUGES INC.
MEDIA RELEASE – 26 March 2009
Sculpture
Supports Women’s Refuge
Women’s Refuge received a
cheque for $150,000 today, raised by the NZ Sculpture
OnShore exhibition held at Devonport last November.
The donation was presented to Women’s Refuge Chief Executive, Heather Henare by the charitable trust, Friends of Women’s Refuges, this afternoon at a handover attended by Prime Minister, John Key and the Minister for Women’s Affairs, Pansy Wong.
Ms Henare said, “On average, Refuges throughout New Zealand receive a crisis call every eleven minutes. Last year we responded to nearly 50,000 crisis line calls and provided over 30,000 services to women and children.”
She said the funds received would be used to fund “life-changing programmes for women.”
Ms Henare added, “Obviously the immediate safety of a woman and her children is crucial, but we want to do more than that. We want to be able to provide tools that she can use to re-build a safe life for herself.”
“We want to support her in making a fresh start, with an understanding of the dynamics of family violence - how to recognize the patterns and to understand the impact on herself and her children. We want to help her to heal and move forward and to parent without violence.”
She said, “Our women’s programmes enable us to do these things. And that is where exciting transformations may take place. That is where we start to make a difference for the next generation.”
Over 14,000 people visited the popular ten day event held last November. The $150,000 donation came from commissions on the sale of work in the exhibition and the Premium Sculpture Gallery, entry revenue and profits from the on site café.
Ms Henare described the exhibition as “a very special and much anticipated event.”
“Sculpture on Shore has become so much more than a fundraiser. It is a celebration of culture, a joyous reflection of who we are. I believe that when communities celebrate their arts and achievements, very positive things happen.”
ends
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