The Women’s Welcome and Wellbeing program was awarded a Social Justice Small Grants to improve social inclusion for disadvantaged women in rural Queensland. Women came from isolated farming communities, some women were isolated due to health conditions or bereavement. Most women were from low income households.
The project was designed to expose them to a range of regional interest destinations in an effort to address their social isolation, increase their self esteem and personal resilience. The groups visited a number of regional areas including Innot Hot Springs Leisure Park, Eagles Nest Wildlife Hospital, Kuranda Bird Sanctuary and Lake Barrine.
A total of 53 women and nine children attended various trips.
The response to the program has been excellent. The project has helped build a more inclusive community, created new supportive networks, encouraged women to become more resilient and gave women the opportunity to enjoy new experiences. They all reported improved feelings of mental and physical health and reduction in feelings of isolation.
The group intends to keep meeting to build their new networks and plan to continue taking trips together to local recreational areas.
