Welcome to the website of the Women's Resource Service. We provide services to women
living in the Byron Bay shire in Northern New South Wales: on Arakwal land in Bundjalung country.
We invite you to go to our Links page, and listen to Aunty Bertha's Welcome to Country.
We acknowledge the traditional owners, and pay respect to Bundjalung Elders, past and present.

The website has been largely designed to provide women with access to promotional material
about our services, and to resources and publications of interest to our actual or virtual clients.

We are happy to provide information and local referral details through our Contacts page,
to both colleagues and community, but we are not able to provide any emotional support or
counselling services online nor via email. Responses to emails and website enquiries can be
expected during our office hours 9am-4pm from Monday to Thursday.

 Once again, welcome to our site. Take care and keep safe, Coordinator.

The aims of the Women's Resource Service (WRS) are:

• To provide free and confidential information and referral for women and their children.
• To empower and assist women toward self sufficiency and well being in the community.
• To actively address the issues affecting women in the community
  

Objectives:

The Women's Resource Service's objectives are to maintain a service within Byron Shire that identifies the needs of women in the community and provide assistance to women and their children by: Directing women wanting assistance to the most appropriate resource, either of a non- government or government nature and where appropriate, advocating on their behalf. Providing and developing an information system pertaining to community welfare services and a range of educational and recreational amenities, including those not involved in the direct delivery of services. Maintaining close cooperation with social or community welfare organizations with a view to accessing the available services effectively. Participating and cooperating in community education programs, promoting public information of community needs, resources and services.

Scope of the Service:

The Women's Resource Service is not a crisis intervention service. The Service aims to provide access to support and advocacy sessions by referring to appropriate services for women in crisis situations. The Women's Resource Service can provide crisis support through its Domestic Violence program, along with access to appropriate referral and advocacy. Women in the shire are entitled to a limited number of counselling sessions per year, and assisted to obtain longer-term support if need be.

Target Group

The Service's target group is: women, 16 years and over, from the Byron Shire.

Criteria for Access of Service

The Service is offered to all women from the Byron Shire, and we welcome women of all cultures, sexual preferences, abilities and religions.

Service Management Structure

The Women's Resource Service is a project of the Mullumbimby Neighbourhood Centre, and it is therefore managed by the Mullumbimby and District Neighbourhood Centre Inc. Management Committee.

The Management Committee is accountable to the funding body, the Department of Community Services through its nominated Community Project Officer (CPO).