At 10am last Thursday, PCYC Burdekin welcomed community members, support agencies, and high school students for a heartfelt Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) Awareness Morning Tea, held as part of Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month.
Guest speaker Foxie Eleoyze, an intuitive coach, NLP trainer, and energy healer, headlined the event with a focus on empowerment and healing. The atmosphere was informal and welcoming, encouraging open conversations about DFV in a safe setting.
Sergeant Dan Dew, who helped organise the event alongside support agency partners like the Burdekin Community Association, Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre, and Zonta, said the aim was to foster face-to-face connections between police, support services, and the public.
“We wanted it to be more than just a police perspective,” Sergeant Dew said. “We wanted to try and have all our support agencies in the room together, so that members of the public can come in, mingle chat, have a friendly chat over a coffee, and get different perspective on how things happen."
He highlighted the value of involving students, saying education must begin early. “Having the schools here is huge. Education starts in school, and the more we normalise these conversations, the better.”
Domestic violence continues to be a pressing issue in the Burdekin. “Since 2016, police domestic violence calls of service have increased by 111% in the region,” Sergeant Dew said. “But police staffing levels haven’t increased by 111%, and the scope of what we deal with has grown—especially with recent changes to coercive control legislation.”
Despite the challenges, he’s optimistic about the future of the initiative: “It’s worked out really well this year, and we’re already thinking about how to go bigger and better next year.”
Burdekin Community Association representatives
Sergeant Dan Dew, Fina Vasta, and guest speaker Foxie Eleoyze
Ayr Police
Burdekin Christian College and Ayr State High School
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