Photos: Supplied.
CONTRIBUTED BY LES LOUIS
The Rotary Club of Wynnum and Manly has been running events to raise awareness of the serious issue of domestic and family violence for many years. The largest of these is the Family Fun Day held in early June (formerly late May) each year. The next Family Fun Day will be held on Sunday, June 7, 2026 – come along and join in the fun.
In the last two years, the club has also held its Purple Fridays event at various coffee shops in the Wynnum and Manly areas to spread the word. This group of Rotary Club members and their friends wear purple shirts to say “no” to domestic and family violence every Friday morning, and meet somewhere in Wynnum or Manly. It’s a colourful reminder to the community that it is not OK to inflict domestic violence. The club has also supported Joan Pease each year with her twilight vigil against domestic violence, as well as the Paint the Bayside Orange breakfast organised by Zonta.
The club’s final activity for the year on this issue will be the Walk Against Domestic Violence during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, held globally from November 25 to December 10 each year. The walk will be held this year on Sunday, December 6. Last year, over 70 people, including members of Zonta, local scouts, and representatives of the police DV unit, walked the route from the Wynnum wading pool to the Manly Pool along the foreshore.
The club is now exploring opportunities to collaborate with local groups that provide services to victims, with the objective of providing practical assistance to these groups in their work. We already work with BABI and Silky Oaks to support them, and we are hopeful of joining with others to enhance what they do. We hope to make a difference and help stamp out this scourge on our society.
If you’re interested in joining Wynnum Manly Rotary, find out more at https://rcwm.org.
