'You matter to me': more tickets for DV event for 'worth it' community

A volunteer organisation in the colour city, Birds in the Bush is set to host its fourth gig on Thursday, May 2 at the all-new Banksia Orange venue.

Founder of the organisation, solicitor with Orange's Whiteley, Ironside and Shillington Solicitors, Vanessa Vazquez says the nine-person committee is looking forward to dropping an additional 100 tickets at 10am on Monday, March 4.

Sold tickets have already raked in $27,500 direct funds for The Orchard - a local shelter for women and children experiencing family violence.

"We need to keep telling people that this happens every day, to everyone, from all walks of life," she said.

"That's why we really want to run a high quality event each year, with high quality speakers, because Orange is worth it.

"And so is this cause."

Overburdened with data, the Central West carried DV rates more than double that of the state average between July 2021 and June 2022.

The region continues to sport some of the highest DV numbers, which studies say don't include some 60 per cent of victims who don't report abuse at all.

But being a childhood survivor of domestic violence (DV) herself is part of the reason why Ms Vazquez started Birds in the Bush.

The idea is to champion conversation around the issue, keeping the harsh subject in peoples' minds so as not to forget or dismiss the abuse-laden reality lived by one in four women and one in six children.

The inaugural Birds in the Bush gig raised $5000 and went on to raise $35,000 the following year.

It then raised $100,000 in 2023, with guest speaker Rosie Batty blowing the Orange crowd away after sharing of her son's brutal murder at the hands of his father.

For Ms Vazquez, it seemed like a hard task hunting for another strong anti-DV ambassador to do the next 2024 event justice.

"After Rosie Batty, it was difficult to think how we could top that as an organisation, especially when domestic violence is such a specific topic," she said.

"So, getting a keynote speaker, and at that same kind of level, seemed impossible at the start.

"But during a Christmas lunch last year, somebody in the community knew somebody who knew somebody."

Confirmed in late January, Birds in the Bush secured former tennis world number four player, best-selling author and sport commentator, Jelena Dokic.

Ms Dokic will share her experience of bullying by her father in what's been plastered in the media as "horrific abuse" - episodes suffered by the tennis pro for many years.

Kate Greenwood of Greenwood Designs says Ms Dokic is "a pretty big draw card" for the event, with the crux of the cause going back to the basics of looking out for one another.

"We need to be having these types of conversations so women know they've got representation in our community, because the statistics are so staggering that it's really shocking," she said.

"This is a very important cause because so many women are affected by DV, so it's about being community-minded and realising these awful things can and do happen to anyone.

"Women need to have a voice."

The evening will include welcome drinks donated by award-winning label See Saw Wine, with gourmet canapes by the Union Bank's executive chef, Dom Aboud.

For those wishing to talk to someone on the night, specialised DV services will be available to talk with.

Another focus of the 2024 event, Ms Vazquez said, will be getting "more men in the room".

"We need more males showing women and children their support, to say 'I'm with you and I'm involved in this fight to stop domestic violence'," she said.

"We've also had t-shirts made this year saying 'Blokes for Birds', because every time they wear it, it's like they're a part of a secret club.

"It's the club of people who support putting an end to the abuse; people who say 'you matter to me'."

The event's committee members are:

The 2024 board is still seeking additional sponsors for the evening, with all money donated to the Housing Plus refuge, with a live auction set to take place.

Merchandise is available to purchase via the Birds in the Bush website.

Doors on May 2 open from 5.45pm for a 6pm start.