There’s a new addition to the Club’s reception area as Fremantle becomes the first sporting team in Australia to partner with The Purple Bench Project.
The bench is the 115th in WA that offers people a chance to sit and reflect on how domestic and family violence is endemic in all parts of the community and how everyone has a part to play in mitigating and ultimately ending its impact.
The Purple Bench Project has a strong link with Fremantle, with the first bench launched in Fremantle outside the town hall on International Womens Day in 2018.
The colour purple was chosen as it is associated worldwide with the domestic violence awareness movement.
The bench was officially launched at the club on Thursday 8 December during the annual ’16 days in WA’ campaign, which this year is running from 25 November to 10 December to encourage change to stop violence against women.
Fremantle president Dale Alcock, board member Colleen Hayward, CEO Simon Garlick, head of community engagement Simon Eastaugh and players Sam Switkowski, Roxy Roux and Mim Strom were on hand for the launch alongside Kedy Kristal, the A/CEO for the Women’s Council for Domestic and Family Violence Services and Desma Osgood, a Fremantle member who is also the manager of the Marnja Jarndu Women’s Refuge in Broome.
Alcock said the Club felt it had a connection with The Purple Bench Project that went beyond the colour purple.
“As a football club, it’s our role to be a part of the community, in particular through the young women and young men we have got on board,” Alcock said.
“As well as creating great footballers, our aim is to primarily create great people who can be role models in the community. All of our players come from different backgrounds and this is a community issue that affects everyone. If we can raise the awareness within our club, then we’re doing something important and proactive about the issues of domestic and family violence."
Hayward added that she was proud to see the club be the pioneer for sporting organisations supporting the initiative in WA.
“Fremantle plays a leadership role, not just in this state but nationally in terms of the social justice issues, equity and diversity issues that we’re prepared to take on,” Hayward said.
“The issues we support have to be relevant and they have to have meaning to our playing groups as well as our staff, members and supporters. Speaking out against domestic violence is one of those issues.
“While we hope this bench can help in the campaign to eradicate domestic and family violence, we also hope it can show victims that they have our support.”
Kristal was thrilled to see the purple bench installed at the club.
“This bench and the 114 others around WA are reminders that there are people who are killed needlessly each year in domestic and family violence, whether that be men, women or children,” Kristal said.
“It also shows that we need to talk about how prevalent this issue is and the fact that all of us know someone who is a victim or survivor of domestic violence and it’s everyone’s responsibility to speak up about it. If you don’t speak up or respond to it, you’re actually contributing to the problem.
“It’s great to see the Fremantle Dockers be leaders in the field and show other sporting clubs that this is a really relevant issue to their club, players, families and supporters.”
Each purple bench features a plaque with information for those who need advice or support relating to domestic violence, advising those to contact the Women’s Domestic Violence helpline on (08) 9223 1188 or 1800 007 339.
Freo get around The Purple Bench Project
It's a first for sporting clubs around Australia
