Kathy Payne is looking forward to spending more time with her young grandchildren (as of a couple of months ago she now has two) and concentrating on her private practice – she’s earned it.
For the past year, along with six other volunteer committee members, Kathy has worked hard to help bring Protea Place Warwick, a women’s day refuge, to fruition.
However, with the centre, domiciled in the old Uniting Church Manse in Warwick, now officially opened and handed over to the Protea Place parent body, Toowoomba-based CEO Amanda Dalton and a steering committee, it’s time to move on to other projects.
“The Warwick Protea Place Team ended at the end of June with the CEO Amanda Dalton having all responsibility for the final set up and ongoing operational process,” Kathy explained.
“Our local team lovingly supports the yet to be announced Warwick steering committee, paid staff and onsite volunteers.
“It is great that Protea Place Toowoomba/Amanda Dalton is willing to invest in our community, sharing their model and expertise.
“Our local team consisted of Ansie Leinbenberg, Sue Harris, Ian Darnell, Jill Bockman, Sue Campbell, Jenny Lane, Julie Gliori and Kathy Payne.
“We have a great appreciation of everyone’s skill set, positive community connections and have valued working together and getting the project to the point where it is a reality.
“This group remains passionate and invested in having a women’s day refuge open on the Southern Downs. We will continue to champion this project within our community without any formal involvement.
“We are so thankful that our community got behind this project financially, practically and in spirit.
Kathy said her Protea Place email address kathy@protea.org.au has been redirected to CEO Amanda who will answer all enquires.
This week Amanda paid tribute to the work that the local team of volunteers put into bring the important community facility to fruition.
“We would like to say a heartfelt thank you to a mighty team of Volunteers who stepped up and helped bring the community together, raised funds, organised donations and were an integral part of bringing Protea Place Warwick to life,” she said.
“This key group of volunteers worked tirelessly to make sure the foundations were in place for handover to Protea Place.
“Everyone played a significant role, but we would like to make a special mention to Kathy Payne who has been a driving force within this group.
“Thank you all so much for your selfless contribution to this community response.
We are so incredibly grateful for your heart and care.”
For Kathy and her team it’s the end of this project and for a time to return to her private practice as a Mental Health Social Worker.
She has been in private practice in Warwick for more than fifteen years, seeing individual clients and also supporting those on the frontline with professional support, is looking forward to concentrating on her private practice now.
Her client base includes Queensland Ambulance Service, Queensland Police Service and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services. She also works extensively in the disability sector and balances being wife, mother, nana and active volunteer in the community space with her passion for WAAT (Women’s Action and Advocacy Team (WAAT)).
WAAT also includes PP volunteer member Sue Hamlet along with Judy Hefferan. And while no longer involved in the set up process for Protea Place Kathy, Sue and Judy already have other things planned through WAAT.
“It has been an organic process moving forward (from Protea Place),” she said.
“At the end of June the Warwick team ceased to exist and all responsibility is now with the CEO and what will be the paid staff I understand they are getting into place which is marvellous to know.
“We feel very comfortable with our role to this point and for our community it’s a great thing. We’re celebrating, it’s a good thing for the Southern Downs and lovingly support PP as they move forward with that. We’ll be like community champions, still out rallying around it be certainly not in any formal capacity.”
She said the team of seven included a good cross section of the local community including one or two from the Uniting Church. The Church also had their own volunteer group who were doing the painting and renovating of the old Manse building. With no government funding to set up the centre, the group had to rely on donations and support from the local community, businesses and service groups to get the building ready.
“Our team was around the fundraising and community engagement – talking to our Lions, going to our schools,” she said.
“Every day I go up town there is somebody. Today at the art gallery a lady stopped me, she’s closed up her shop and would like to donate some of her new wares to Protea Place. Doesn’t matter where you go in our community people are wanting to come onboard in some capacity it’s just beautiful.
“I imagine for many months to come, I will still be directing people back to Amanda’s email and phone number. Our local volunteer team are just blown away by the community support it’s been great up to date. People have caught the vision that its so necessary for vulnerable women.”
She said it was pleasing to see more being done for vulnerable women both in communities and by the State Government particularly around the issue of coercive control. It is something that Kathy and her WAAT group have been advocating for and will continue to advocate for.
“Vanessa Fowler, from the Allison Baden Clay Foundation, is actually Alison’s sister and has offered to come out to our area to do some work on coercive control,” she said.
“That’s another initiative that was sort of an off-shoot of our volunteer Protea group and our WAAT group. It’s accumulative, we’re growing in awareness. We’re not just sitting back and saying there’s nothing here – we’re going hey let’s make this happen.”
That attitude from the WAAT group saw Southern Downs Regional Council recognise the trio of Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) advocacy stalwarts through their Southern Downs Regional Council Volunteer Recognition Program for their tireless commitment to lobbying for more support services for the community.
In presenting the awards to the Women’s Action and Advocacy Team (WAAT), comprising of Kathy, Sue and Judy, Southern Downs Councillor Jo McNally commended the unassuming group of three professional women for being passionate changemakers for the Southern Downs.
“Sue, Kathy and Judy are contributing their professional expertise to the Southern Downs community in the DFV space,” Councillor McNally said during the presentation at the Council Chambers late last month.
