Meet the Women Changing the Future
for Women and Girls in the Northern Rivers
The Women’s Giving Circle, an initiative under the Northern Rivers Community Foundation is a lifeline for grassroots organisations that uplift women and youth in times of need.
This year, the Northern Rivers Community Foundation’s Women’s Giving Circle has supported three powerful programs; Human Nature, Women Up North, and Haus of Armour. Each of the organisations supports women and girls in very different ways to build a better future for generations to come in the Northern Rivers.
For the young people supported by Human Nature, the region’s beaches, parks, and quiet spaces are safe havens where they can begin to process trauma and rebuild trust.
The Northern Rivers community has experienced a series of compounding crises, including floods, bushfires, and the pandemic, alongside challenges like poverty and family violence. These factors have created a landscape of
poly-crisis for young people, many of whom suffer from complex trauma. Traditional mental health services often fail to meet their needs because they are unable to offer the flexibility and emotional safety required.
“Many of the teens we work with have experienced complex trauma and feel disconnected from mainstream mental health services,” says Jen Parke, Head of Client Services. “We meet them on their terms, wherever they feel comfortable.”
Thanks to the Women’s Giving Circle, Human Nature is delivering 90 trauma-informed therapy sessions for young adults. These one-on-one sessions are tailored to build trust slowly, often starting with something as simple as sitting on a beach or walking through nature.
The sessions blend evidence-based practices with nature’s soothing influence, creating an environment where young people can open up at their own pace. The sessions also utilise an interactive tool called the “Mind Star,” which helps clients evaluate and set goals across seven life areas, including self-esteem, emotions, and living environment. The process focuses on building strengths and slowly addressing areas that need support, helping young people develop life skills and heal from trauma in a safe and nurturing manner.
Women Up North is on a mission to empower women and girls through practical self-defence and advocacy programs. Women Up North’s Empowering Self-Defence workshops, funded by the Women’s Giving Circle, are providing that sense of safety, one skill at a time.
“Our workshops provide tools that extend far beyond physical self-defence,” explains program leader Crystal Whitney. “Participants gain confidence, learn to assert themselves, and feel in control of their environment.” Tailored to diverse needs, including older women, mothers, and those with mobility challenges, these sessions are creating a ripple effect of empowerment within communities.
The sessions are kept simple to ensure participants can easily remember and apply the skills in real-life situations. The first two pilot programs received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with participants reporting a near doubling of their feelings of empowerment. Women shared stories of practicing self-defence techniques with their daughters and sisters, creating a ripple effect of safety and confidence throughout the community.
Workshops conclude with a call to action: each participant is encouraged to teach a self-defence technique to someone they know, amplifying the impact. “This isn’t just about learning to fight back, it’s about transforming fear into strength and reclaiming agency over one’s life,” says Crystal.
For survivors of domestic violence, healing often means starting from scratch. At Haus of Armour, this process begins with a small but powerful gesture: choosing an outfit. The simplicity of selecting clothes may seem trivial to some, but for women who have endured years of control, it’s a step towards reclaiming their identity.
With funding from the Women’s Giving Circle, Haus of Armour offers custom styling sessions and three free outfits to 45 women in the Northern Rivers. But the impact runs deeper than wardrobes. “After years of being told what they could wear or who they should be, this is their moment to choose for themselves,” says Kate Jackson.
The initiative also supports sustainability by sourcing donated clothing from brands like Thread Together and DiSHH, weaving community care into every aspect of the program.
At its core, Haus of Armour is about dignity, and with every woman who walks out of the styling studio, a new story of resilience begins.
If you’re inspired by these stories and want to be part of the movement, visit nrcf.org.au/womens-giving-circle to learn more. By joining the Women’s Giving Circle every dollar becomes part of a bigger story – one where women find their voice, young
people rediscover trust, and communities grow stronger.
