Refuge group still in meed of funds

Press, 9 November 1988, Page 7

Refuge group still in meed of funds

By

NIGEL MALTHUS

The Christchurch Battered Women’s Support Group will have to keep raising funds in spite of the success of its charity cocktail party and celebrity auction on Monday evening.

The Battered Women’s Trust chairwoman, Mrs Doris Church, said the evening raised more than $lO,OOO, although it would be some weeks before all the ticket sales money came in and a final total was known. A celebrity auction, selling such items as Jim Bolger’s tie, and a table napkin used by Bob Jones on his private plane on the way to the event, raised about $5OOO. Mr Jones had supported the event by flying several celebrities to Christchurch for the even-

ing. Mrs Church thanked the many “invisible, very hard workers within our group,” and the many supporters who donated goods, time, and money to the cause. She said, however, that the Trust would have to hold several more fundrasing events to meet its running costs, this year, of about $60,000. The group has often had to struggle for funds since it split from the national women’s refuge movement in 1985, after disagreement over politi-

cal philosophies. It had been “excommunicated” from the national group and was “continuing to be ostracised” by the Government, said Mrs Church. It had received a Government grant of only $4OOO this year, while other refuges helping similar numbers of women received more than $60,000, she said. Approaches had been made to the Minister of Social Welfare, Dr Cullen, seeking increased support, she said.