From the Cottage: Women’s Space Growth, Volunteer Appreciation and Health Support
20th May – 23rd May 2025
This week at Fletcher Street Cottage, we’ve been busy with exciting initiatives, celebrating our volunteers and continuing to provide essential support to those in need. Here’s a look at what’s been happening this week.
Highlights:
- On Monday, Maddi spoke with Caroline and Jodee on BayFM to discuss our new women’s only afternoon. The Women’s Space continues to grow, providing a quiet and supportive environment where women can access the services they need. It’s been wonderful to see the space being used so actively, and we’re excited for it to continue thriving.
- This week was Volunteer Week, and we spent the week expressing our gratitude to the amazing 110 volunteers who pour so much commitment and love into Fletcher Street Cottage. We simply couldn’t do it without them! Thank you to all of our volunteers for their unwavering support.
- Victor, our Community Support Worker, attended the Yarning Circle around Sexual Violence training. This culturally safe, trauma-informed training helps us support Indigenous survivors of sexual violence and ensures we’re offering the best care possible to our clients.
- On Friday, we hosted our weekly trivia session, which our clients absolutely love! Trivia is a great way to enhance social connections, have a laugh and get our brain juices flowing. Our clients look forward to this fun and interactive event every week.
- On Thursday, we attended the Homelessness NSW SHS Network Meeting, where we joined homelessness services, sector leaders and government representatives to discuss updates, priorities and collaborative opportunities. The meeting kicked off with a Ministerial update from The Hon. Rose Jackson, MLC, which was insightful and informative.
- Our Community Support Workers were able to link a woman with the Homeless Health Outreach Team for vital mental health support, and also connected her with our monthly visiting legal team from the Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre. The woman shared that she hasn’t felt this supported in a long time and was deeply grateful for the quick response to her immediate needs.
- We were also thrilled to see another woman supported into temporary accommodation through the Assertive Outreach Housing Team, ensuring she had a safe place to sleep at night.
- This week, we supported over 246 people, provided 72 showers and had over 50 women visit Fletcher Street Cottage for support. It’s inspiring to see the positive impact we’re having on our community, and we’re grateful for the ongoing support from our team, volunteers, and partners.
About Fletcher Street Cottage
Fletcher Street Cottage is a community hub in the heart of Byron Bay, offering essential support for individuals facing homelessness and hardship. Our services include nutritious meals, access to showers and laundry, advocacy, health services and more, all aimed at helping our clients move toward stability and self-sufficiency. With the support of our dedicated team, volunteers and generous community partners, we’re working every day to make a positive impact.