Awards 2018

Mrs Lorraine Pepperill

Nominated by Ms Maree Corbo

Seconded by The Hon Dale Wakefield MLA

Lorraine Pepperill is a very respected and loved mother, grandmother and aunty. Lorraine is an unsung hero regarding child safety and she has continued to be an unpaid Kinship Carer for many children requiring care, protection and support for all those who live in the Trucking Yards Town Camp.

Lorraine is a foundation member of the Tangentyere Womans' Family Safety Group. This group was developed out of the need identified by female Town Camp residents, for a voice and action on family and domestic violence issues.

The Tangentyere Women's Family Safety Group program, 'Direction and Development', is organic and works from a strength based approach, acknowledging and celebrating the skills, knowledge, history, assets, connections and relationships that Town Camp residents have.

TWFSG are imperative to the holistic response that Tangentyere Council has in addressing these issues, not only in town camps but in greater Alice Springs and outlying Communities. The TWFSG have developed 'awareness raising tools' that are easily understood and culturally appropriate. At the request of the TWFSG members, messages have not been toned down to make then more salient. The women are clear that violence is hurting their communities and that violence and abuse must stop.

Lorraine is a committed member of the TWFSG and a strong role model and mentor for many young women entering the group. Lorraine is the leader in her community who has witnessed the impacts of domestic violence and sexual violence in her community and as a result, is a strong campaigner for change in this area. She has participated in training regarding her understanding of these important issues and has ensured that the next generation of children in her Town Camp also have access to disciplining with six of her female grandchildren participating in learning about

family violence at her request.

Lorraine has participated in a range of activities regarding Community solutions to family and domestic and sexual violence in the Town Camps and greater Alice Springs such as:

• 2014 — participation in training regarding family and domestic violence and sexual abuse

• 2015 — putting gender on the agenda forum regarding the impacts of these issues upon Aboriginal women

• Production of newsletters, safety playing brochures, help cards, posters, wristbands with Women's Shelter Numbers developed and distributed. The message is "Alice springs town camp women say — "Don't keep your silence  about family violence"

• Ongoing regular meetings with Police regarding issues around the violence issues for Aboriginal women

• 2016 — Lorraine and Members of the TWFSG met with the National Prevention body for eliminating family violence — Our Watch. Our Watch was particularly interested in the work the women's safety group was doing in terms of prevention against violence in the town camps

• Development of the "No To Violence" statement signs that are outside each of the Town Camps in the greater Alice Springs area

• Participation in the development of the Tangentyrere Domestic Violence Specialist Children's Service for young people between the ages of 12 and 17 years of age who are/have been impacted by violence

• 2017 — Attended meeting with United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women

• Development of the film "Stand Up" focusing on bystander intervention regarding family, domestic violence and sexual abuse

• Ongoing development of training for Town Camp women on these issues

• Ongoing meetings with services and organisations to discuss culturally appropriate interventions for women impacted by these offences

• Lorraine was the key driver of the Aboriginal Women's March for Visibility regarding the impact of family domestic violence and sexual violence on Aboriginal women

• 2018 —A trip to Canberra to discuss Domestic and Sexual Violence with Parliamentary decision makers, regarding community solutions to community solutions to combat this violence for Aboriginal women and children

• Lorraine's ongoing commitment to participation in the Tangentyrere Women's Family Safety Group.