TV presenter and singer, David Campbell OAM, will visit Penrith in May to host an event that will help change the lives of local women and children in need.
Mr Campbell (pictured) will be the Master of Ceremonies for Penrith’s inaugural Mayoral Charity Ball being held in support of The Haven – Nepean Women’s Shelter.
The charity provides crisis accommodation and assistance for women and children escaping domestic and family violence.
Penrith City Council Mayor, Tricia Hitchen says the event will be a night of entertainment, touching true stories and community celebration for the life-changing work of the local service, while fundraising to expand the support available on the ground so that no one is turned away.
“It means a lot to the Penrith community to have a well-known Aussie entertainer acknowledge that there is a real need in our City and to get behind this worthy cause,” said Mayor Hitchen.
“I wholeheartedly thank David Campbell OAM for wanting to be part of this event, to help spark important conversations around domestic and family violence,” she said.
“This fundraising effort will ensure that many more local women and children who have been impacted will have access to a safe space in their time of need.”
Mr Campbell said he was honoured to MC the charity evening.
“The Haven is doing vital work for the community and I hope we raise a lot of much-needed money,” he said.
Figures released by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research show that Penrith had one of the state’s highest rates of domestic violence in 2022 with 1,077 reported incidents in the 12-month period.
Statistics also show that on average, one woman a week is killed by her current or former partner in Australia.
The Haven is a community-funded shelter that was opened in 2018 by Women’s Community Shelters. The charity has provided over 17,000 safe bed nights and assisted more than 330 women and children.
According to The Haven, just $20 can provide pillows and blankets to keep a woman or child warm; $50 provides essential groceries for a woman and her children; and $100 can keep a woman and her children safe for 24 hours with case worker support.
Tickets for the Mayoral Charity Ball are on sale now and include a $50 donation to The Haven.
To find out more, visit penrith.city/events. Tickets can be purchased directly via the Eventbrite page for the Mayoral Charity Ball – Penrith 2023.
A GalaBid page is also live at galabid.com/penrithcharityball for monetary donations and where guests can bid on various items ahead of the silent auction on the night.
