MEDIA RELEASE

26 MAY 2018 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

They come from all walks of life. A local builder, a police officer, a stay-at-home mum of four, a midwife, a high school student. All of them taking a stand and saying family violence is not something they want their neighbourhood.

Together over 200 of them will walk a 17-kilometre stretch of Muriwai Beach on Sunday 27 May in an attempt to #TurnTheTide on family violence in northwest Auckland.

This is the second annual Turning The Tide Fundraising Walk, organised by Kia Timata Ano Trust, the local women’s refuge serving the area from Taupaki and Riverhead, through Kumeu and Huapai to Waimauku, Muriwai and Woodhill.

As well as providing emergency safe housing for women and children, the refuge has advocates who go out in the community and see over 300 people a year who have called police because of violence in the home.

Trust Executive Director Ana Christmas, says “while there’ll always be a need for refuge as a way for women to escape an abusive relationship, we work really hard to help people before they get to that point and to give them the tools they need to live in safety.”

The money raised through this year’s walk will go towards employing a male advocate to work with men - both users and receivers of violence - in the community.

Last year nearly 80 people took part raising over $11,000. This year, registrations are well over 250 for both the 17-kilometre walk and the shorter 4-kilometre “Second Wave.” It’s expected to take around 2.5-3 hours for the walkers to complete the big walk from Rimmer Road access to the beach near Helensville back to the Muriwai Surf Club.

While organisers are hoping for a fine day, the walk will go ahead despite the weather, because as Ana Christmas says, “people in domestic violence situations don’t get to call a rain day.” Donations to the cause can be made at Kia Timata Ano’s Give A Little page: https://givealittle.co.nz/org/kiatimataano

Walk Schedule:

8:00am-9:30am Registrations at Muriwai Surf Club

10:15am Walk begins at Rimmer Road access

12:00pm Registrations for Second Wave (4WD access to beach off Coast Road).

1:00pm-2:00pm All walkers join for final 4km hikoi to Surf Club

2:00pm-3:00pm BBQ and Celebration

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