Annual Report
2023-24
Highlights and Achievements
Jenny’s Place honours the Awabakal people, the traditional custodians of the land on which we operate. We also respectfully acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of our neighbouring Nations; the Worimi, Wonnarua and Darkinjung people.
We recognise the history of our First Australians and acknowledge that this land was, is and always will be, Aboriginal land
To Elders past, present and emerging, we thank you for your historic and continuing custodianship of the land and of your cultural heritage, and we commit our respect to the stories, traditions and living cultures that have sustained for many thousands of years.
The artwork titled Rebirth featured on the cover of Jenny’s Place Annual Report was created by Newcastle indigenous abstract artist, Jasmine Christie. A proud Palawa woman painting on Awabakal Country, Jasmine paints to reflect the human experience. She is passionate about expressing emotion and loves the way art creates human connectivity in a space. Her work captures human emotion and the transformational change that takes place within people after being affected by life events.
“I want my work to serve as a reflection on where people have been, but most importantly, how far they’ve come and where they are yet to go. Rebirth pays homage to all women who have walked through the doors of Jenny’s Place and been reborn”
Jasmine Christie @jasminechristieart
Jenny’s Place Vision and Mission
Our Vision
To reach, and actively engage the hearts and minds of women and men in our community, where we will work collectively to bring an end to gendered violence. Ultimately, our goal is for every woman and child to live safely, free from violence and homelessness.
Our Mission
Since 1977 Jenny’s Place has provided critical support and emergency accommodation to women and children impacted by domestic and family violence and homelessness in Newcastle. Our mission is to expand on these decades of sector-based leadership; to extend our service capacity to ensure our responsiveness to an ever-increasing social need, and through vigilance, determination and collaboration, to break the cycles of domestic violence and homelessness in our community.
A safe community
free of violence
and homelessness.
Chair’s Report
Since its foundation in 1977 Jenny’s Place has made a profound social investment to the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Hunter communities, and while there are metrics that exist to measure an organisation’s social impact, I struggle to contemplate how we could accurately quantify the depth and swell of Jenny’s Place impression and the number of lives forever transformed.
I believe it to be too great to ever truly measure.
As Chair of this remarkable organisation, I am filled with pride and gratitude for the professional dedication and personal contributions made by every member of the Jenny’s Place team because I have no doubt that these human qualities not only support women and children in their immediate hour of need but also perpetuate positive social investment for future generations.
It is no coincidence that the Jenny’s Place team demonstrate this deep commitment to the safety and wellbeing of their clients; for the last 47 years the organisation has been driven by a core group of women fiercely committed to this mission. Among those courageously clearing the path and leading the charge was our beloved and respected long serving Executive Manager, Marcia Chapman. And so, it is with deep sadness that I acknowledge Marcia’s passing and that I take this opportunity to publicly express our collective eternal gratitude for this incredible woman, her generous 35 years of service to Jenny’s Place and her extraordinary legacy.
Marcia passed away on Saturday 20th July 2024 following her decision to retire from Jenny’s Place earlier in the year.
In the days following her death the Jenny’s Place team came together with Marcia’s family, friends and sector colleagues to farewell and celebrate this legendary woman and to reflect on her incredible personal and professional impact. Marcia was deeply determined and cared generously and wholeheartedly. At every opportunity she challenged our political leaders to advance social change, and she was committed to working in partnership with sector colleagues to prioritise the needs of the most vulnerable women and children in our community. We simply can’t express how immensely grateful we are to have known and worked alongside Marcia and we will forever remember her for the light and hope she brought to so many.
We now turn our focus to honoring Marcia’s life and work, and we know that the appointment of Dawn Walker to the role of CEO is an important step in continuing and advancing the mission and values Marcia so steadfastly demonstrated. I join my Committee colleagues, Dawn and the entire Jenny’s Place team in sharing Marcia’s vision for an end to gendered violence; we will not waver in advocating for transformative systemic change and in creating a safer community for women and children now and for generations to come.
Vale Marcia Chapman. Rest with the angels.
Lynne Graham
Chairperson
Our Management Committee
Jenny’s Place Management Committee are responsible for the stewardship and governance of the organisation. We are grateful for the counsel and collective expertise of our elected committee members and look forward to their ongoing contribution to our service.
Lynne Graham
Chair
Elvira Johnson
vice president
Lisa Evans
Treasurer
Trudie Larnach
Secretary
Meg Dolan
member
Mwaka Mtonga
Member
Jacqueline Rimington
Member
CEO's Report
Stepping into the newly established CEO role of this small but legendary organisation, I arrived at a turbulent time. Within a few weeks, we lost Marcia Chapman, the prior Executive Manager of Jenny’s Place and one of the most beloved, respected women of her generation and of her sector.
There were some immediate and pressing financial challenges, and a turnover of staff which has been tough to navigate. The 2023/24 financial year has been impacted by a number of significant factors. This includes the receipt of a substantial portion income from a key benefactor, which was recognised as income in 2022/23, however expenditure from this donation is to be incurred and recognised over a three year period (including 2023/24). Additionally, significant one-off costs were realised in further establishing the Hunter Street premises, where the Jenny’s Place operations have been centralised, and finally the level of demand for frontline services needed in our Newcastle Domestic Violence Resource Centre continues to outstrip available funding.
The upside of these challenges is that they have presented the remaining team and the newly employed staff with an outstanding opportunity to build a more autonomous, innovative and future-focused work culture which will help underpin the strategy, operational efficiency, and the financial sustainability of Jenny’s Place.
Since commencing in May 2024, I have developed an intrinsic, deeply felt respect for the resilience, passion and commitment of the remarkable team of women I work with. Every day I bear witness to the selfless, extraordinary contribution that they make in helping reshape the hearts and minds of the women and children we serve. My team are in the business of saving lives and rebuilding the hopes and dreams of the living.
As I reflect on the profound contribution of the remarkable women who have led these vital services through so many different struggles over the last 47 years, I do so with the understanding that everything has its right time.
Despite the extraordinary achievement of Jenny’s Place and of so many of our sector partners, the domestic violence rates continue to rise across our region. In spite of the superhuman efforts of so many, the root cause of domestic and family violence has not been curtailed, and the homelessness that often arises from the violence is escalating at an alarming rate.
Something has to change.
My vision for Jenny’s Place is to bring a fresh perspective and a contemporary approach to the challenges we all face in this sector. To generate financial sustainability, service innovation, and a new way of approaching an old issue. I believe we can apply the inherent learning of the past, as we strengthen our sector and community alliances and take Jenny’s Place forward.
For almost five decades, Jenny’s Place has existed on a shoestring, on the kindness and generosity of our benefactors, and in more recent times on the increased awareness and funding from local and federal policy makers. With demand for our trauma-informed domestic violence support services at an all-time high, the gap between the
cost of service and our income stream continues to widen, and this too has to change.
There is one conspicuous fact that could well be the most powerful tool of all to help us turn the tide on domestic violence in our region. We need men to get involved. It sounds simple, but if we can succeed in reaching all the good and great men across our community, and galvanize our male population to start engaging on this issue, we may see stronger initiation of the social change we need.
Key Initiatives in 2024
Male Advisory Panel
Develop and implement a Male Advisory Panel to build informed strategy on how to engage and keep men at the centre of the solution..
Expansion of Child Support Programs
Create a five-year Strategic Plan focused on expanding our footprint and reach to protect and reshape the lives of at-risk children..
Find A Home – Jenny’s Place
Create a strategic plan to enable the acquisition and development of a fit-for-purpose long term Home for Jenny’s Place staff and core services outside of Refuge.
Independent Income Streams
Develop a strategic plan to build independent income streams that transition women into the workplace and safeguard the financial sustainability of Jenny’s Place.
Aboriginal and CALD Domestic Violence and Homelessness Service expansion
Partner with DCJ and our strong alliances to improve the trust and understanding between our teams and affiliated sector services, and our Aboriginal and CALD communities, to shape together how we can best deliver consistent, relevant, informed service to help safeguard and support the women and children who have heightened vulnerabilities in their relevant communities.
As I close the year and look to the future, I extend whole-hearted thanks to Lynne Graham and to the Jenny’s Place Management Committee for their encouragement and wise counsel; to Sandra Shaw at DCJ for her tireless collaboration and support; to my colleagues in the Hunter DFV Consortium for the warm welcome, kindness and collegial guidance they have extended to me; to our vital client service partners – Saskia and her team of student child psychologists at The Sunshine Hut, and to Stephanie and Vanessa at The Zahra Foundation; and finally to the staff and volunteers at Jenny’s Place – the most inspiring team I have ever had the honour to lead, who have taught me the true meaning of courage.
Dawn Walker
CEO
women and children were supported across Jenny’s Place core services in the 2023/24 financial year.
children and young people were supported across Jenny’s Place core services in the 2023/24 financial year.
people could not be supported by Jenny’s Place in the 2023/24 financial year.
Client Statistics 2023-24
Accommodated at Families Refuge
Children
Accommodated at Singles Refuge
were supported through Jenny’s Place Outreach and Homelessness Service
received early intervention support via the Newcastle Domestic Violence Resource Centre
Age of Client
(from beginning of support period) %
Our Year in Review
Jenny’s Place welcomes Dawn Walker as CEO
In April this year, Jenny’s Place appointed Dawn Walker to the position of Chief Executive Officer. Dawn joins us following an extensive leadership career in the health sector, both in Australia and overseas. Most recently, she was the CEO at Newcastle’s Lingard Private Hospital and the strategic business advisor at Heal Urgent Care.
Dawn succeeds through the integrity of her relationships with people, and by focusing on a considered, nuanced approach to the development of the individual members of her team. She has a deep understanding of how to engage and inspire cross-functional teams and in the months following her appointment she prioritised a future-focused structure and vision for the team with the ultimate aim to optimise positive team culture, client care and service efficiencies.
Her heart for serving and supporting the community can be evidenced in everything she does, and Jenny’s Place is grateful for her leadership and representation internally and more broadly, through the sector, political and community landscapes.
Trauma-informed care prioritised for children and young people
In the 2023/24 financial year 485 children and young people presented to Jenny’s Place with their mother as a direct result of domestic and family violence (DFV) and/or homelessness.
A child’s exposure to trauma is lasting and has the potential to impact their long-term physical and emotional development, and for many, this learned behaviour manifests within their own relationships later in life.
In addition to our service observation, there is clear national data to support the prevalence of the intergenerational incidence of DFV. A study specific to adolescent family violence published by ANROWS (2022) found that one in two young people who experienced DFV during childhood went on to perpetrate violence in the home during their adolescent years. The incidence of revictimisation is similarly compelling with 50% of women impacted by DFV reporting childhood experiences of family violence.
This research confirms the gravity of DFV childhood trauma, both in the immediate event and throughout the person’s lifespan, and highlights the generational spill that often results from unresolved trauma.
Jenny’s Place has always committed to providing holistic support to our youngest and most vulnerable clients and we know that if we are to see meaningful progress made in DFV prevention, we must get ahead of the issue and provide elevated, trauma-informed care to children and young people.
In the six months to June 30, 2024, we conducted an internal review of our child-centric programs and identified an opportunity to improve collaboration between our Specialist Workers Children and Young People (SWCYP) and Sunshine Hut teams and our wider core services. The outcome of this collaborative focus is already being felt, with mothers and children across each of our core service streams actively accessing the full scope of onsite specialist care including children’s case workers, occupational and speech therapists, and the University of Newcastle postgraduate psychologists delivering the Sunshine Hut program.
Frontline worker’s funding builds service capacity
In June 2024 Jenny’s Place was awarded funding via the New South Wales government’s NPA New Specialist DFSV Workers program established to support capacity building within frontline DFV services. The funding was a welcomed and necessary boost to Jenny’s Place casework team with three new positions embedded in our frontline service response to domestic and family violence.
Importantly this funding has allowed Jenny’s Place to appoint two specialist caseworkers; an identified First Nations position, as well as a role dedicated to supporting culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. This is especially important as we know that women in both population groups experience social disadvantage and are vulnerable to social isolation and misinformation when sharing their experience of domestic assault. First Nations women in particular are disproportionally impacted by family violence and are 34 times more likely to require hospitalisation as a result of violence (AIHW, 2024).
Jenny’s Place looks forward to advancing our delivery of culturally informed casework as a direct result of these newly funded positions and will actively engage First Nations and CALD community groups to create trusted support pathways for women and children impacted by DFV.
Core and cluster update
Jenny’s Place, in partnership with social housing provider, Plus Property, continues to make steady progress in the construction of a nine-unit crisis accommodation property in Lake Macquarie. The property is possible due to funding provided by the NSW State Government’s Core and Cluster Sector Capacity Building Grants Program, and once completed, it will dramatically increase the availability of supported crisis accommodation for single women and families in our immediate community.
The Core and Cluster model is the gold standard in crisis accommodation providing clusters of fully furnished independent accommodation, supported by a core building of social services. The women living within the units have access to intensive onsite casework provided by Jenny’s Place, as well as our existing wrap-around support programs including (but not limited to) the SWCYP and Sunshine Hut children’s trauma programs, empowerment and self-development programs, tenancy and housing support, legal workshops and other personalised referrals.
The project was formally announced by the NSW Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, the Honorable Jodie Harrison MP, in September 2023. Additional external funding partners include the McCloy Group, West Group Australia and the NSW Office of Responsible Gambling through the Community Benefit Scheme.
University of Newcastle research supports Jenny’s Place early intervention service
In June 2024 the University of Newcastle published a study titled – Improving domestic violence services in the Hunter: An evaluation of early intervention services offered by Jenny’s Place. The study reviewed the effectiveness and social impact of the Newcastle Domestic Violence Resource Centre (NDVRC) in relation to minimising risk through highly accessible and responsive early intervention support.
The independent study was co-funded by Jenny’s Place and the University of Newcastle through its industry-matched funding scheme and utilised a mixed-method approach, analysing service data, as well as data collected through staff interviews, client interviews and a client questionnaire.
Data gleaned from the study suggests the NDVRC’s ‘no accessibility criteria’ approach; where women need not have left violence to gain access to casework, is highly effective in supporting safer pathways out of violent relationships. It also provides an important blueprint for other DFV services across NSW and will help demonstrate the need for further funding to support prevention and early intervention programs.
Crisis Accommodation Service
Jenny’s Place Crisis Accommodation team currently operate two refuges in Newcastle: one for women with children and a second for single women. The escalating incidence of DFV in our region, coupled with a highly competitive and understocked housing market has placed a significant strain on our refuges with majority of clients staying in crisis accommodation for between 6-13 weeks.
While there has been minimal reduction in the average length of stay in refuge when compared to the 2022/23 financial year, the prolonged periods in refuge remain a challenge and are directly related to the shortage of affordable accommodation in the Hunter.
In the 12 months to June 30, 2024, Jenny’s Place families refuge accommodated 38 women and 81 children. This represents a 39% year-on-year increase in the number of women entering our families refuge and a 48% increase in accompanying children.
Our refuge for single women accommodated 49 women in the same period: a year-on-year decrease of 16%.
Crisis Accommodation intake continues to see our refuges operating at, or near to, capacity for large portions of the year and while the continuing demand for crisis accommodation is deeply concerning, it is heartening to see that women are identifying safe pathways out of violent homes and that Jenny’s Place remains a trusted service for crisis care.
During a client’s stay in the refuge, our Crisis Accommodation and Outreach and Homelessness teams work collaboratively to engage private and social housing agencies in an effort to support their transition out of refuge into stable accommodation. This is our priority because we know that when our clients are supported and safely housed, they have the best possible opportunity to recover from their trauma and rebuild their lives. In the 2023/24 financial year, 91% of women accommodated in Jenny’s Place refuges exited into stable accommodation.
Housing outcomes for women exiting Jenny’s Place Families Refuge
Housing outcomes for women exiting Jenny’s Place Singles Refuge
Newcastle Domestic Violence Resource Centre
The Newcastle Domestic Violence Resource Centre (NDVRC) provides critical prevention and early intervention support to women and children who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing DFV.
In the 2023/24 financial year, the NDVRC team supported 133 women. Seventy-two of these women presented to the service with their children (128 children in total). The casework support provided to each client is tailored to their unique needs, but the nature of prevention and early intervention casework often lends itself to developing a client’s understanding of the supports available to them and providing them immediate access to specialist DFV counselling, legal advice, financial assistance and other forms of external assistance that respond to their immediate needs. The NDVRC casework team also work closely with clients to establish safety and exit plans so in the event that a client chooses to leave a violent relationship, they have safeguards in place to help mitigate the risk of assault and to transition as smoothly as possible to safe accommodation.
In June 2024 Jenny’s Place successfully secured funding for three NPA New Specialist DFSV Workers which strengthens our capacity and ability to respond to the ever-increasing demand for front-line specialist case management support for domestic violence victims. Importantly, this funding made possible the recruitment of two specialist casework roles: a CALD community caseworker and an identified First Nations caseworker. This is a critical resource for the Jenny’s Place team which will allow for improved connections and better understanding across these community groups, along with best practice culturally informed support across our service streams.
A particular focus of the NDVRC team is to strengthen and expand relationships within the DFV and social services sector and the corporate community. Positive relationships with a range of local industry and business partners will minimize barriers to raising awareness and accessing heightened support and will provide better life outcomes for the women and children we support.
“Thank you for being so kind to my children and for giving them a safe space to express themselves and the courage to connect with you.”
Thank you card from a Mum leaving refuge and beginning a new life with her children.
Intake
The Intake team consists of two case workers who work tirelessly to provide assessments and interim support to women and children, usually within 24-48 hours of contact. The volume of women contacting the service for support continues to increase as a result of the ongoing housing crisis and in the 2023/24 financial year, Jenny’s Place Intake case workers responded to 1499 enquiries from people looking for support either as a direct result of DFV and/or homelessness.
In order to be responsive to the needs of those reaching out to the service, the Intake team have established positive relationships with a range of wrap-around services including Specialist Homelessness Services and housing providers who can support our clients with emergency and temporary accommodation when our refuges are at capacity.
Outreach and Homelessness Service
In the 2023-24 financial year, our Outreach and Homelessness team successfully supported a total of 328 women (many presenting with children); a 19% increase in the number of women supported by this service in the previous financial year. This increase is indicative of a desperate shortage of affordable private rental accommodation and social housing in the Hunter region, creating market competition that impedes many from obtaining suitable housing.
The Outreach and Homelessness service is designed to help our clients secure safe, stable housing and prioritise sustained tenancies. It is important to note that clients supported by the Outreach and Homelessness team have multiple pathways into the service including direct referral from Jenny’s Place crisis refuges, self-referral and external agencies. In the 2023/24 financial year, 25 clients transitioned into Outreach and Homelessness Services upon exiting Jenny’s Place refuges.
Jenny’s Place Transitional Accommodation Program (TAP) is managed and delivered by the Outreach and Homelessness team and includes a portfolio of 24 properties offered in collaboration with partnering social housing providers. The TAP is a vital provision as it allows Jenny’s Place clients who struggle to secure tenancy agreements to remain safely and independently housed in TAP accommodation for periods of 12 months to five years.
During TAP tenancies clients receive dedicated support from a Jenny’s Place Outreach case worker. The caseworker helps clients address barriers that may prevent them from obtaining a private tenancy in the future with the aim of ensuring long-term housing stability.
In the 2023/24 financial year, the Outreach and Homelessness service supported 50 women and their children with TAP tenancies and of the clients that exited TAP accommodation in this period, six achieved permanent social housing tenancies, 37 achieved private rentals, four moved in with family and/or friends and three exited into homelessness.
The Rapid Rehousing Program assists women and their children who are experiencing homelessness or at immediate risk of becoming homeless. Through this program, our case workers help clients apply for social housing assistance, secure additional funding and housing resources to facilitate entry into the private rental market, and identify short-term emergency accommodation or medium-term supported housing options. Throughout this process, the case worker works closely with clients to prioritise appropriate, long-term housing solutions.
The Early Intervention and Prevention Program assists women and their children to sustain their existing tenancies and prevent homelessness. This program works with social housing providers, real estate agencies and private landlords to secure agreements for the client to stay within their property. Caseworkers support clients to overcome barriers such as financial hardship, DFV, mental health, parenting and family support, alcohol and drug use, literacy and property care. Through this program, the Outreach and Homelessness team supported 25 women and children to live safely in their homes once housed.
The This Way Home Project is managed by Home In Place and includes nine temporary accommodation units for people requiring accommodation for up to 28 days. There are also 24 medium-term accommodation units where tenants can reside for up to two years. Jenny’s Place is a member of the This Way Home Project Facilitation Group, which also includes representatives from Home in Place, Department of Communities and Justice, ITEC Youth, Nova for Women and Children, Wandiyali, Warlga Ngurra, St Vincent De Paul (Matthew Talbot), Baptist Care, Samaritans Foundation and Wesley Mission. In 2023/24, Jenny’s Place has supported 11 clients through This Way Home tenancies and we are extremely grateful to be part of this important housing collaboration, particularly during this unprecedented period of housing uncertainty.
Summary of Accommodation Placements
women were supported through the outreach and homelessness service – an increase of 19% on year prior
Specialist Workers Children and Young People Program (SWCYP)
Total numbers accommodated (2022-23):
Jenny’s Place Specialist Workers Children and Young People program (SWCYP) provides dedicated support to Jenny’s Place youngest and most vulnerable clients. Children’s trauma support has been a priority since Jenny’s Place inception in 1977. However, a recent review of the program structure has already proven very effective in extending this child-centric care through heightened cross-service collaboration.
Historically, the SWCYP program has been embedded in the refuge setting, however, the program review identified an opportunity for the program to be structured independently with a dedicated SCWYP service to ensure that child-centric care is extended across all service streams. This creates an agile, mobile response to the needs of the children we support, wherever they are based.
The program now consists of four specialist children’s case workers (including the lead), along with two Allied Health professionals; a speech and occupational therapist. This team works with children and young people to address their unique emotional and developmental needs and connects closely with onsite Sunshine Hut psychologists to ensure these young clients receive the intensive support they need to understand and recover from DFV-related trauma.
In the 2023/24 financial year 485 children presented to Jenny’s Place with their mother. We have an extraordinary responsibility to provide these young people, their mothers and their extended family the support they need to rebuild their confidence, independence and wellbeing.
Our Collaborators
Better service can’t be delivered in isolation –
our alliances are more important than ever.
A special note of gratitude to our continuing volunteers and collaborators.
Awesome Foursome volunteers
Each week Jenny’s Place receives the extraordinary support of our Awesome Foursome volunteers; Carol Crompton, Sue McDonald, Wendy Kingston and Kath Carmody. These fabulous women arrive at our community relations office every Tuesday and immediately spring into action, sorting donations, making deliveries, supporting events and ensuring our clients have all they need. Their generous and meaningful contribution to our work cannot be overstated and we are deeply grateful to have them on the Jenny’s Place team! Thank you, ladies, for all you do for Jenny’s Place and women and children in our community.
We would also like to thank our long-serving building and maintenance volunteer, Ean Sutton. Like a well-oiled machine, Ean works tirelessly to maintain Jenny’s Place properties, creating warm and welcoming spaces for the women and children visiting our service and centres.
C3 Victory Church
Jenny’s Place continues to receive invaluable support from the team at C3 Victory Church. A safe home and positive tenancy are absolutely vital for our clients, and we are immensely grateful to our friends at C3 Victory, who help maintain and beautify our clients’ gardens.
Department of Communities and Justice
The Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) is a critical service partner for Jenny’s Place, and we simply could not deliver the current scope of services without their funding, support and guidance. We give special thanks to Sandy Shaw, Commissioning and Planning Officer who provides exceptional responsive, supportive guidance and collaboration to our CEO and our entire team. Thank you to Sandy and the wider DCJ team for your cross-sector expertise and your tireless engagement and encouragement.
Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service
Jenny’s Place is deeply grateful for the legal support provided by the Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service (WDVCAS) in Newcastle. This extraordinarily important service provides our clients with trusted, expert legal advice specific to domestic violence offences and provides some clarity and peace of mind during what is often the most difficult time in our clients’ lives. We thank Suellyn Moore and the team at WDVCAS for their compassion and commitment to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of women impacted by DFV.
Friends With Dignity
The work delivered by the team at Friends With Dignity is genuinely life-changing. This volunteer-based organisation turns bricks and mortar into a home. Very often our clients come into refuge with the clothes on their backs so when the time comes for these women and their children to leave refuge and settle into a new home, we are so grateful to be able to call on Friends With Dignity to make the magic happen!
Harpers Legal
Thank you to the Harpers Legal team who so generously welcome client referrals from Jenny’s Place and offer our clients free legal advice. Access to legal consultation following incidences of domestic and family violence and leading into court proceedings is absolutely vital and we are grateful for the compassion and expertise of the Harpers Legal team.
Homes NSW
Our partnership with Homes NSW has continued to thrive with Senior Client Service Officers on site by appointment each month to support our clients in understanding the requirements of the NSW Housing Register. We are very grateful for this personalised support which is proving to be a useful opportunity for women to discuss any issues or barriers impacting their Housing Register status.
Hunter Valley Projects
Hunter Valley Projects provide expert financial counselling and financial literacy support to our clients as they rebuild financial independence after leaving violence. We thank the HVP team for all they do to support our clients and for their empathy and respect through this often complex and personal process
Kiwanis
We are so delighted to provide every child entering the refuge with a Kiwanis welcome pack complete with new pyjamas, clothes, toiletries, toys and craft supplies. This beautiful package is a lovely surprise for little ones who are so often afraid and overwhelmed when they first come to Jenny’s Place. Thank you to the team at Kiwanis for the smiles you bring in what is otherwise a difficult time for the families we support.
The Hunter Domestic and Family Violence Consortium
The Hunter Domestic and Family Violence Consortium is a unique collaboration of the region’s DFV and Homelessness specialist services.
The Consortium members include Carrie’s Place, Got Your Back Sista, Family Support Newcastle, Jenny’s Place, Newcastle Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service, Nova for Women and Children, Port Stephens Family and Neighbourhood Services, Upper Hunter Homeless Support and Warlga Ngurra Aboriginal Women and Children Domestic Violence and Homelessness Service. Jenny’s Place is grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with and advocate alongside these incredible teams for improved outcomes for women and children impacted by DFV and homelessness.
Oz Harvest
Huge thank you to our friends at OzHarvest who regularly deliver food to Jenny’s Place refuges. These deliveries are so welcomed by the women and children living in our refuges and we are thankful to OzHarvest who not only provide a variety of fresh and nutritious groceries but also helps lift the financial burden felt by clients.
Soul Hub
Thank you to our friends at Soul Hub who prepare beautiful lunches for our clients throughout the year. We are so grateful for the love and care that goes into preparing every meal, this kindness means so much to the women and children we support.
University of Newcastle – Sunshine Hut and Peer Review research team
Jenny’s Place enjoys a strong partnership with the University of Newcastle. In the last financial year, Jenny’s Place has continued to work with the University of Newcastle School of Psychology on the Sunshine Hut children’s trauma program, which is dramatically improving outcomes for mothers and children participating in the program.
We have also finalised a significant research project with the University conducting an independent review of the Newcastle Domestic Violence Resource Centre. We deeply value our collaboration with our peers at the University of Newcastle and we look forward to continuing collaboration on these and other partnerships.
Zahra Foundation
The Zahra Foundation’s mission is to create an Australia where all women are economically empowered and safe. We are so privileged to be collaborating with the Zahra Foundation in this space and we are delighted to open our doors to the Zahra Foundation team every Wednesday so they can deliver economic empowerment workshops to our clients.
Our partnership with Homes NSW has continued to thrive with Senior Client Service Officers on site by appointment each month to support our clients in understanding the requirements of the NSW Housing Register. We are very grateful for this personalised support which is proving to be a useful opportunity for women to discuss any issues or barriers impacting their Housing Register status.
“I extend our heartfelt gratitude to all of our collaborators, together we are creating better pathways to support, preventing bottlenecks in service delivery and improving life outcomes for women and children in our community impacted by domestic and family violence and homelessness.”
Dawn Walker, CEO
Our Supporters
In the 2023/24 financial year, Jenny’s Place received generous financial and in-kind support from a number of community donors and government and corporate funding partners. These extraordinarily generous social investments sustain and extend our service capacity, allowing us to help our clients in their time of immediate need while also supporting their long-term recovery and path to safety and independence.
Philanthropy
Continuing gift safeguards Jenny’s Place service delivery – $450,000
($156,948 funds remaining for expenditure in the 24/25 FY)
In 2022 Jenny’s Place received a $450,000 gift from an anonymous donor to support the relocation of Jenny’s Place Outreach, Intake and Domestic Violence Resource Centre teams to a new site in Hunter Street, Newcastle. These funds continued to subsidise Jenny’s Place lease costs at this site throughout the 2023/24 financial year and will do so until the end of the lease term in August 2025. This generous gift, expendable over three years, has been instrumental in facilitating heightened cross-service collaboration and provides a safe and accessible site for client consultations and workshops, as well as specialist referral appointments and programs.
McCloy Family Foundation Charity Gala – $300,000
($6,790 funds remaining for expenditure in the 24/25 FY)
Jenny’s Place was the grateful recipient of funds raised via the McCloy Family Foundation Charity Gala on September 9, 2022. The event, which was held at Merewether Surfhouse, raised an incredible $300,000 with funds distributed across a number of Jenny’s Place programs. While the majority of this gift was allocated to agreed programs in the previous financial year, $253,220 was carried forward into the 2023/24 financial year to sustain Jenny’s Place Domestic Violence Resource Centre prevention programs. At June 30, 2024 the balance of funds was $6,780 and this too will be allocated to the Domestic Violence Resource Centre for expenditure in the 24/25 financial year..
Bequests and Trusts
Jenny’s Place extends gratitude to the Wright family for continuing the Wright Family annual bequest. A bequest of $20,000 was received in the 2023/24 financial year, with funds directed to supporting Jenny’s Place service delivery.
We also acknowledge a continuation of annual donations from the Orrett Family Trust with $4000 gifted to Jenny’s Place in the last financial year.
Grants
Nine new grants totalling $235,471.45 were
received and allocated in the 2023/24 financial
year. The funds granted have been directed to six programs, dramatically improving Jenny’s Place service capacity and social impact.
- ClubGRANTS (23) Wests Group – $10,000
Safe As Houses program - ClubGRANTS (23) Wallsend Diggers – $5,000
Safe As Houses program - ClubGRANTS (24) Wallsend Diggers – $4545
Standing Strong Lunch - NIB Foundation – $5,000
Newcastle Domestic Violence Resource Centre - Office of Responsible Gambling through the Community Benefit Payment Scheme – $126,926
Core and Cluster crisis accommodation project (Noting this grant includes an additional payment of $126,926 to be issued in the 2024/25 FY and allocated to Jenny’s Place Domestic Violence Resource Centre) - Orica Kooragang – $10,000
Safe and Sound Transitional Accommodation (Noting Orica International Impact Fund will support the local Orica investment with an additional payment of $36,200 to the Safe and Sound Transitional Accommodation program in the 2024/25 FY) - NSW Premier’s Department – $51,000
Security upgrades to refuge accommodation - Qantas Regional Grants – $15,000
Safe As Houses program - Westfund Community Grants – $13,000
Bedroom refurbishing refuge
We would like to extend our deep gratitude to each of these funding bodies for their investment in our service and to the safety and wellbeing of women
and children in our community.
Community and corporate financial support
Jenny’s Place is always deeply heartened by the support we receive from the people and organisations of the Hunter region. In the 2023/24 financial year community and corporate contributions to Jenny’s Place totalled $195,515.73 which was achieved through corporate and community-initiated fundraisers and general donations. This is an incredibly meaningful investment in our service and an absolute affirmation of our community’s commitment to driving DFV prevention and dramatically improving social and systemic protections for women and children.
A special thank you to our corporate partners:
Community and corporate in-kind support
In addition to financial gifts, Jenny’s Place receives in-kind support estimated to be in excess of $250,000 p.a. In-kind contributions range from pro-bono corporate services, office space for our community relations team (provided at no charge courtesy of HL Mullane), community and corporate donation of goods that support our clients’ needs; food, hygiene and household products, gift cards and special occasion gifts – Easter, Christmas and Mother’s Day. We simply can’t express the importance of this in-kind support which dramatically reduces our service expenditure and allows us to elevate our standard of care and client provisions.
We make special acknowledgement of our major in-kind partners:
HL Mullane
Huge thank you to Tony and Tania Rhodes of HL Mullane for providing a home for our community relations team! This team is integral to Jenny’s Place service delivery and your gift of a rent-free space for this team is extraordinarily generous – thank you for making their work in our community possible.
Mezzanine
Mezzanine provides invaluable support to Jenny’s Place through expert advice, stewardship and implementation of our digital strategy and branding. To Nikki, Luke, Liz and Jess, we simply can’t thank you enough for being a valued extension of the Jenny’s Place team.
Strategic Group
To Chris and our Strategic Group tech family, thank you! We are so grateful for all you do to keep us safe, networked and fully operational! We are deeply grateful for your enduring commitment to Jenny’s Place and to the women and children we support.
Campaigns & Events
Jenny’s Place hosted three key campaigns during the 2023/24 financial year, each contributing significantly to sustaining our service delivery and driving community education and awareness. Collectively these activities raised $184,750.24 for Jenny’s Place and engaged the community through public participation and media exposure.
2024 Empowered Walk
Sunday February 18, 2024 | $22,346.14
More than 380 people came together on Sunday, February 18 to take part in Jenny’s Place Empowered Walk, a 48% increase in event registrations when compared to the inaugural walk in 2022. Although the conditions were sweltering, the crowd completed the 6km loop circuit that started and finished at Newcastle Carriage Sheds. Special thank you to each of the event sponsors, the corporate and community participants and Sally Hill from Canvas Events for her assistance in coordinating this important community activation. Thank you also to our event emcee, Garth Russell, who did a fabulous job of rousing the crowd ahead of the starting siren.
2024 Standing Strong Lunch
Friday May 3, 2024 | $26,424.76
Over 200 people came together on Friday, May 3 at Wallsend Diggers to acknowledge Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. The event was emceed by Triple M’s Sarah Farley-Adams who guided proceedings and welcomed presentations from Jenny’s Place CEO, Dawn Walker, along with courageous DFV victim survivor, Simone O’Brien.
Special thank you to the event sponsors Wallsend Diggers, Sharp Office and John Holland Gamuda, and to Simone Jordan from the University of Newcastle for her Acknowledgement of Country address.
2024 Hike To Help Jenny’s Place
Heysen Trail Flinders Ranges
Tuesday June 25 – July 4, 2024 | $135,979.34
On Tuesday 25 June, 16 brave Novocastrian women set off on a 121km trek of the Heysen Trail and Flinders Ranges. The beginning of the trek marked the culmination of many months of tireless fundraising, physical training and the occasional media appearance!
We are in awe of these incredible women who not only committed physically to this challenge but also took time away from families and work to help raise funds and awareness for Jenny’s Place. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to every member of the trekking crew and to the organisations and networks who so generously supported and sponsored them.
Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income
Jenny’s Place Incorporated – For the year ended 30 June 2024
Statement of Financial Position
Jenny’s Place Incorporated – As at 30 June 2024
Balance Sheet
Jenny’s Place Incorporated As at 30 June 2024
Note to the Condensed Financials
Jenny’s Place Incorporated Year ended 30 June 2024
The financial statements cover Jenny’s Place Incorporated as an individual entity. Jenny’s Place Incorporated is a not for profit Association incorporated in New South Wales under the Association Incorporation Act 2009 (NSW) (‘the Act’).
1. Basis of Preparation
The financial statements are special purpose financial statements that have been prepared in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards (including Australian Accounting Interpretations), the Associations Incorporated Act 2009 (NSW), Class Order 11/01 as issued by the NSW Fair Trading and the financial reporting requirements under the organisation agreement with the Department of Family and Community Services (DFACS). A statement of compliance with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) cannot be made due to the Group applying not for profit specific requirements contained in the Australian Accounting Standards.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with applicable Australian Accounting Standards, Australian Accounting Interpretations and other authorised pronouncements with the exception of the following:
AASB 119 Employee benefits.
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