Fishing classic to reel in funds for Annie North Women's Refuge

A FISHING competition might seem an unlikely place to raise awareness of the need to fund a women's refuge, yet that is exactly what is planned for an event next year.

The Lake Eppalock Fishing Classic, planned for April 11 and 12 next year, will raise money to help fit out the new soon-to-be-built Annie North Women's Refuge centre in Bendigo.

Rotary Club of Bendigo South chairman Tony Plant said the two-day fishing competition hoped to attract around 300 entrants and raise about $10,000 for the refuge.

He said the idea to raise money for the women's refuge was a considered one. 

"We've had the idea to run an inaugural fishing competition for some time and thought the refuge would be a good charity to support in our first year," he said.

He said the club invited Annie North's chief executive Julie Oberin to give an address at its meeting on Thursday on plans for the new refuge. 

"Once built, it will require a lot of fitting out, so we'd like to support that with financial support," he said.

Mr Plant said the event would also be a good opportunity to raise awareness about the women's refuge, and organisers would consider providing information about it alongside fishing information in showbags.

On Thursday, Ms Oberin said her address to the club was a chance to talk about what the women's refuge did and planned to do.

"Rotary asked me to come here tonight to talk a little bit about the statistics around domestic violence, which are that one in five women will experience it in their lifetime," she said.

In May the state government announced $3 million towards a new purpose-built building at the centre.

She said once built, the new centre would need things like a children’s playground, veggie gardens, an industrial-sized kitchen, a computer lab, even a sound proof room for women "so they don't have to go out to court when it's really risky".

Ms Oberin said it was a lovely thing for a community group like rotary to get behind the refuge and support awareness of violence against women with such an event. 

"Ordinary people in the community recognise this is an incredibly bad social problem. Getting behind it not only raises funds, it raises awareness and people start to talk about the issue," she said.

"I'm not sure what they want to fund, but anything to fund this facility to help it become the facility that it can be would be fantastic.

"Women deserve the dignity of walking into a place which is fully equipped."

Local businesses interested in getting involved with the fishing event can phone Mr Plant on 0408 590 589.

Mr Plant said the event was still in its planning stages, but would see the Bendigo Yacht Club lend its clubrooms and the Bendigo Legion Angling Club help with the running of the event.

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