Women's cottage needs support to help build an extension to meet soaring demand

The Cottage has secured a $75,000 State Government grant, and wants to match it, to build a new extension to its current building.

Manager Maria Losurdo said The Women's Cottage had helped in more than 4,000 instances last year alone.

"Demand for our services has been going up for a very long time and we are bursting at the seams," she said. "This extension will give us a new, bigger group room, more counselling rooms and a kids' space, so we can run more groups and see more women.

"Gendered violence has been a significantly worsening problem everywhere, and in the Hawkesbury that's been exacerbated by drought, bushfires, COVID and floods.

"The Women's Cottage is part of the fabric of the Hawkesbury and this fundraiser is the chance for our community to join us in our support of local vulnerable women and children."

Macquaire MP Susan Templeman said people should remember that, "violence against women is happening right here in our community".

"The Women's Cottage is the only local specialist domestic family violence service supporting women at any stage of their experience with DV," she said

"For nearly 40 years The Women's Cottage has been providing these much-needed services to local women, and demand has been increasing every year."

To donate visit gofund.me/f368f011.