Big ideas for Step Out Against Violence Albury-Wodonga were put on pause last year in the busy lead-up to getting the first event off the ground.
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Now the committee are back and want to harness the community’s passion.
Albury Community Health staff worked with sexual assault and domestic violence survivors to establish the event, locally launching the 16 Days of Activism.
Hundreds of people marched through Dean Street in 2017 and made pledges to act against violence.
Step Out will again take place on November 24, running from 4pm to 7pm.
ACH’s counselling services co-ordinator Kelley Latta said the committee would hold its first 2018 meeting next Thursday and more members were sought.
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“We really want to get community input and people can get in touch with us in the next two months,” she said.
“We’re also really keen for services to be involved.
“I think there was some hesitance around whether it was only an Albury event, but it’s very much Albury-Wodonga.”
The committee is also working with La Trobe, Albury Council and Yes Unlimited to engage social work students in the event.
The Rotary Club of Albury fully sponsored Step Out last year with a number of other organisations providing resources – Rotary will this year provide $5000 and a further $2500 has been secured from Border Trust.
Further funding is being sought for the event.
Ms Latta said the committee had learned from the first year.
“Something we grappled with last year was the gender topic – there was always that voice around men being impacted by violence as well,” she said.
“The 16 Days of Activism is around gender-based violence, so we need to acknowledge women are more exposed to violence via their gender than men are, especially in intimate partner violence; it’s not that men aren’t affected.
“We want men to be involved and to make this an inclusive event.”
People can make contact at stepoutaw@outlook.com.
