The Western Bulldogs Community Foundation celebrates the stellar achievements of 361 graduates across 12 Daughters of the West sites.
Across Melbourne’s inner-west and Ballarat the graduation ceremonies celebrated women who have stood up and taken charge of their health and wellbeing journeys in 2024.
Daughters of the West is a part of the WB Community Foundation’s mission to empower people living across the western region of Melbourne through to the South Australian border. The Foundation is a nation-leading organization that uses the power of sport to deliver life-changing programs and create impact that inspires through a range of social and educational initiatives.
The Daughters program focuses on empowering all who identify as women with the skills and knowledge they need to take holistic care of their health, mind, body and soul.
This is achieved through a weekly session over a 10-week period, in which participants take part in health education covering a range of topics like mental fitness, nutrition and women’s health, followed by expert-led exercise sessions, tailored to participants needs and abilities.
For Pip, a graduate of the Footscray program, graduation was just the beginning of the journey.
“As I move forward, I’ll carry these three insights with me—the value of social connection, the importance of learning and sharing knowledge, and most importantly, remembering to take time for myself.”
Daughters fosters an environment where participants can openly share their experiences and the highs and lows of their lives. By dedicating time each week to creating a safe space, no topic is off-limits. Mental Health Support workers accompany each group, offering a listening ear to participants.
“As a feminist and advocate for women’s health, rights and safety I appreciated the session on family violence” said Lorraine, a graduate from Hobson’s Bay.
“It is not uplifting, however it is current, so important to women’s lives and, predominately male violence towards female partners and ex-partners must be constantly shouted down and squashed.
The graduation ceremonies are a meaningful milestone for each participant, although the significance of the event varies for each. For some, it symbolises personal triumph in prioritising their well-being; for others, it was a launchpad for new friendships and healthier routines.
For Tamsyn from Hobson’s Bay, it was the start of a new journey towards greater social connection.
“I'd never been very aware of what goes on in the community around me, nor been a very active part of it, but this has really opened my eyes to the amazing people, programs and opportunities that are right on my doorstep.”
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, General Manager of the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation, Louise Perry, acknowledged the huge amount of work and collaboration that goes into bringing this program to life.
“We remain committed to empowering women across Melbourne’s West and beyond, building on this year’s success to continue inspiring and supporting women in our community.”
“This is made possible through the support our Major Partner WorkSafe Victoria, as well as Sport and Recreation Victoria, cohealth and local council support.”
But it was Tamsyn’s speech during graduation that summed up the program best.
“Even doing one small thing each week adds up and makes much more of a difference than you might think. So whatever goal you want to achieve, get out there and start - or re-start, no matter how many times it takes! And maybe I'll even see you back again next year at Daughters of the West!”
