CWA Awareness Week runs from 4th-10th September and the CWA celebrates its centenary this year. Today it is still bringing together women who share a commitment to improving the lives of other women and their families by lobbying government on key agenda issues, fundraising and teaching life skills, and CWA members come from all walks of life.
The CWA aims to provide a forum for the voice of women in NSW, improve the conditions and welfare of all women and families, especially in regional and rural areas, support initiatives that enhance the value of ‘country living’ – especially in the areas of health and education, encourage development in regional areas and increase the viability of rural communities.
Each year CWA Awareness Week has a theme and this year it is “Access to and availability of appropriate and adequate maternity services in the bush”. This has been a focus of the CWA of NSW since its inception 100 years ago. Other health and social issues CWA are advocating for at present also include specialised domestic violence operative teams to be established and support for Transplant Australia’s programme to encourage live kidney donations.
Members of the Grafton Branch attend the Annual Conference where they learn more about these issues and we also hold functions which raise awareness of them eg ‘Tarts Afternoon Tea’ to raise funds for Ovarian Cancer research, with a guest speaker. We also raise money for charities such as disaster relief, where funds are raised to assist those affected by bushfires, floods and drought. We donated locally to the Bushfires appeal in 2019 and supplied baking of biscuits etc. for the firefighters. We support local communities in other ways, such as participating in and catering for the Grafton Show, catering for local community events and attending events organised by other local groups. Handicraft mornings are held on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month, where we can get together and do different crafts, have a chat and a cuppa. Grafton Branch also sell handicraft on stalls and money raised will be used in different areas e.g., CWA Disaster Fund, and the recent Tonga appeal.
Our CWA meetings are held in the CWA rooms, Duke St, Grafton, on the 2nd Friday of each month, with morning tea at 9am and the meeting starting at 10am and anyone interested in becoming a member is welcome to attend. The next meeting is on Friday September 9.
Anne McLellan