Mackay Women's Services

02/11/2026

✨THANK YOU ✨

We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Namarca and Vikki at Reconcile Life for their generous contribution towards the installation of security camera devices for victim-survivors in our community.

This funding will enable Mackay Women's Services to provide professional installation of security camera devices for women and families experiencing domestic and family violence, helping to remove barriers to accessing practical safety measures when they are needed most.

By supporting installation costs, Reconcile Life is helping ensure victim-survivors can access timely, trusted, and effective safety solutions without the added stress of coordinating these arrangements themselves.

Security cameras have become a vital part of our safety planning and response services, providing an added layer of protection, reassurance, and evidence collection capability for those navigating challenging and often dangerous circumstances. The demand for this support continues to grow. In the last financial year, Mackay Women's Services supported 66 individual victim-survivors with security cameras, providing a total of 164 devices across the Mackay and Isaac regions.

Partnerships such as this allow us to continue delivering practical, client-centred safety solutions that have a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of victim-survivors. Every barrier removed is one less thing for a person experiencing fear, stress, and uncertainty to navigate on their own.

Thank you, Reconcile Life, for investing in the safety and wellbeing of our community. Your support will help us continue providing critical safety measures to victim-survivors as they seek to rebuild their lives. 💜

30/10/2026

Due to the weather, please be advised tonight’s event has been cancelled.

🛑🛑🛑 Reclaim the Night CANCELLED🛑🛑🛑

Due to the weather the event tonight is cancelled

We appreciate your Support and Understanding

30/10/2026

If someone trusts you enough to share an experience of sexual violence, how you respond matters.

You don't need to have all the answers. You don't need to investigate what happened. You don't need to tell them what to do.

Start by listening.

💜 Believe them.
💜 Thank them for trusting you.
💜 Remind them it wasn't their fault.
💜 Respect their choices.
💜 Offer support without pressure.

A safe response can help someone feel less alone.

☎️ If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, we urge you to seek support.

In an emergency, always call 000
Call the Sexual Assault Helpline on 1800 010 120
Call DV Connect on 1800 811 811
To speak to one of our trained counsellors, call (07) 4953 1788

28/10/2026

💜🌙 REMINDER: Reclaim The Night 🌙💜

Join us for the annual Reclaim the Night march this Friday and take a stand against gender-based violence and sexual assault in our community.

Together, we can create a safer Mackay.

📅 Friday, October 30
⏰ 5pm–6.30pm
📍 Bluewater Quay, Mackay

27/10/2026

✨Young voices, lasting change ✨

How do we create a future free from domestic and family violence? It starts by having meaningful conversations with young people today.

Mackay Women’s Services was pleased to facilitate discussions at the Mayor’s Youth Round Table this month, creating a space for students to share their perspectives, explore respectful relationships and consider how we can all contribute to preventing violence.

The students who participated were incredibly impressive, bringing thoughtful ideas, enthusiasm and meaningful contributions to the discussion. From exploring new approaches to preventing domestic and family violence (DFV) to reinforcing existing ideas around awareness raising and prevention, their insights highlighted the important role young people play in shaping a safer future.

Engaging young people in these conversations is a vital part of prevention. By encouraging open dialogue, challenging harmful attitudes and promoting respect, we can help lay the foundations for healthier relationships and safer communities.

Thank you to Mayor Greg Williamson, the students, school representatives and everyone involved in making these important conversations possible.

24/10/2026

Let’s talk about consent. ✅

Consent is a free, informed and enthusiastic agreement to take part in something intimate or sexual. It means everyone involved feels comfortable, has a choice, and can say yes or no without pressure.

Consent should be clear, ongoing and mutual. It can be withdrawn at any time, and it should never be assumed based on someone’s relationship status, past experiences or previous agreement.

Understanding consent means recognising not only what it looks like, but also what it doesn’t.

👉 Swipe through to learn more about some common misconceptions about consent and why they matter.

If you’ve experienced sexual assault, support is available.

In an emergency, always call 000
Call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732
Call the Sexual Assault Helpline on 1800 010 120
Call DV Connect on 1800 811 811

To speak to one of our trained counsellors, call (07) 4953 1788

📖 Learn more about sexual violence and available support: https://www.qld.gov.au/community/getting-support-health-social-issue/support-victims-abuse/sexual-abuse-assault/about-sexual-abuse-assault

20/10/2026

🚙 On the road thanks to the Rotary Club of Mackay! 🚙

Keep an eye out for us around town. Thanks to the generous support of the Rotary Club of Mackay and the Mayor’s Charity Golf Day, Mackay Women’s Services is proud to be on the road in our new vehicle.

This vehicle will play an important role in helping us deliver our services across the Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday regions. Reliable transport allows our team to reach women and families who need support, helping us provide vital services across our vast region and continue working towards safer futures.

We are incredibly grateful to the Rotary Club of Mackay for directing this funding towards our work and supporting the women and families in our community. Contributions like this make a tangible difference, helping us extend our reach and ensure support is available where it is needed most.

✨ Celebrating 100 Years of Service ✨

It was a pleasure to attend the Rotary Club of Mackay Centenary Dinner on Friday evening, celebrating a century of service and community connection.

The milestone was a wonderful reminder of the lasting impact of generosity and people coming together to make a difference, something we are so grateful to experience through Rotary’s support of our work. 💜

14/10/2026

✨💜 Celebrating the launch of AgeSafe Mackay 💜✨

We were proud to attend the launch of AgeSafe Mackay last week, recognising the importance of creating a community where older people feel safe, valued, respected and connected.

Supported by MIST (Mackay Integrated Services Team), this important initiative promotes awareness of domestic and family violence, including elder abuse and mistreatment, through education, resources and community conversations.

Our CEO, Belinda Berg, spoke about the importance of building an age-friendly community where older people are seen, heard and empowered to participate and contribute. She also highlighted that elder abuse can take many forms, including physical, emotional, sexual and financial abuse, neglect, coercive control and exploitation — and that it is not always easy to recognise or speak about.

Preventing elder abuse is a shared responsibility. It takes all of us — working together to recognise the signs, start conversations and ensure older people have access to the support they need.

Together, we can help build a safer, more inclusive community where every older person is treated with dignity and respect.

13/10/2026

October is Sexual Violence Awareness Month.

This year’s theme is ‘No More Silence, Prevent Sexual Violence’.

Throughout this month, we’ll be sharing information, resources and conversations to help build understanding of sexual violence, challenge harmful attitudes and misconceptions, explore ways we can all contribute to prevention, and highlight the support available to victim-survivors.

Behind every statistic is a person whose experiences deserve to be heard, believed and met with compassion, care and support.

Raising awareness is an important step towards creating a community where sexual violence is understood, victim-survivors are supported, and everyone can feel safe, respected and empowered to make decisions about their own bodies.

⚠ If you need assistance:

Everyone deserves to feel safe, to be treated with dignity and respect, and to have access to support without judgement. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and need support, help is available.

📱 1800RESPECT helpline: 1800 737 732

📱 To arrange an appointment with one of our specialist sexual violence support team, phone Mackay Women’s Services on: (07) 4953 1788.

06/10/2026

✨ Connecting, learning and raising awareness ✨

At the end of last month, we attended the Mackay Regional Council Safety & Wellbeing Expo at the Mackay Showgrounds, which brought together around 600 Mackay Regional Council staff and contractors.

Our stall was busy throughout the day, with attendees stopping by to learn more about our services, collect information and take part in a range of interactive activities.

These activities provided an engaging way to start conversations, share important information and encourage attendees to think about safety, wellbeing and respectful relationships.

We invited participants to share their self-care ideas on our community board, creating a great collection of practical and meaningful ways to prioritise wellbeing.

It was fantastic to see such strong engagement from Council staff and contractors throughout the day. Events like this provide an important opportunity to connect, share information and continue conversations around safety, wellbeing and respectful relationships.

A big thank you to Mackay Regional Council for hosting such a valuable event and to everyone who stopped by our stall! 💜