The story of the red benches at the Nambucca Valley’s Anglican churches

HAVE you ever considered the meaning of the eye-catching red benches at Anglican churches in the Nambucca Valley?

Did you know they were installed to raise awareness of domestic and family violence issues in the community?

Red benches are installed at each of the Anglican Church’s four local worship centres: Holy Trinity, Macksville; St John’s, Nambucca Heads; St James, Bowraville; and All Saints, Stuarts Point.

“The red benches are fitted with a plaque which reads: ‘Change the Ending: Let’s Stop Domestic Violence’.” Reverend Leslie Ladlow told NOTA.

The benches are an initiative of the Red Rose Foundation, in an attempt to “raise awareness of domestic violence and provide an opportunity for this important issue to remain visible”.

Domestic and family violence has been a major focus for the Anglican Church in recent times.

The Church’s Families and Culture Commission is tasked to provide training and resources to help church communities prevent violence and support those who have experienced it.

Australia is several years into the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032, a 10-year plan aiming to end gender-based violence in one generation.

The focus is on prevention, early intervention, response, recovery and healing, and the Anglican Parish of Nambucca Valley decided that this was something that they wanted to be involved in, particularly as they already had a small team of highly committed people assisting with providing basic needs for women escaping domestic violence (DV).

On Sunday, 4 May the Parish held a free community meeting at the Nambucca RSL discussing domestic and family violence issues.

Guest speaker at the event was Reverend Tracy Lauersen from Tasmania, who serves as the National Program Manager for the Families and Culture Commission.

The Parish has also conducted street stalls to raise money to support outreach with DV-affected people in the Nambucca Valley.

By Jen HETHERINGTON