Women's Cottage plans $400k extension thanks to community support

The Women's Cottage is contributing over $100,000 from its own funds and past community donations and $250,000 from the NSW Government's COVID-19 Sexual, Domestic and Family Violence Infrastructure Grant, the organisation said.

The new building extension will give the Cottage the space to provide more services and groups for the Hawkesbury community as well as expanding workers on site.

The Women's Cottage has been supporting the needs of vulnerable women and children in the Hawkesbury community since 1983. It is an information, resource, referral, advocacy, and crisis support service and also supports women impacted by institutional sexual abuse through the National Redress Support Service.

Approximately 40 per cent of its work is responding to domestic violence and other forms of trauma.

In 1986, the service moved to its current premises - a small residential cottage at 22 Bosworth Street - which is owned by Hawkesbury Council.

With growing pressure on locals over the years due to drought, fires, floods and now COVID, the service has outgrown its base.

Hawkesbury City Council will provide project management for the build. The Women's Cottage said they were working closely with Council to keep costs as low as possible and hoped the renovation would be completed by mid-2022.

Women's Cottage service manager Maria Lusurdo said: "Every square inch of our building is used for client work, but we can't increase anymore unless we have more space."

"We have even had to move some of our services off site which takes funds away from service delivery."

To perform the build, the Women's Cottage chose Penrith-based Cubitt's Granny Flats and Home Extensions after they reportedly also made "a generous donation" to the service.

"The donation from our builders, Cubitt's Granny Flats and Home Extensions, has got us across the line to get the renovation built. In the coming months we will also be calling on other businesses and the broader community to help us fit out the new space for our client work and for the childcare areas," Ms Lusurdo said.

Emma Galea, Acting Director Infrastructure Services at Hawkesbury City Council, said: "This expansion of the Women's Cottage is an important project as it means the Women's Cottage staff can increase their support of women and children in the Hawkesbury and have more space for their valuable programs."

She said Council was "proud to support The Women's Cottage by providing project management for the renovation."

"The Women's Cottage staff and volunteers are to be commended for their ongoing work in our community and also for their own great fundraising efforts towards this project which has received NSW Government and community funding," Ms Galea said.

If you can contribute further to the build, go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/womens-cottage-domestic-violence-support-space or call 02 4578 4190.