Annual Report 2014 - 2015

Elaine Henderson
locations like the Toowoomba, and to help them at
this most difficult part of their journey.
Last year, members John and Joanne Lasker, coupled
with their business True Blue Towing, hosted a cent
sale to raise funds for QHVSG and this year they are
again hosting a similar event. John, Joanne and their
small team of workers put a great deal of time and
effort into this day, and it is looking like becoming a
Toowoomba annual event. On behalf of QHVSG, I
would like to thank John and Joanne and the
Toowoomba community in general for supporting
this event each year.
My third year in my role as a Family Support
Coordinator at QHVSG has been an exceptionally
busy year. Sadly there was a marked increase of
homicides in Queensland for the 2014/15 period, and
it appears that this trend is continuing as we
approach 2016. In our southern region we have had
several new families join our group and my heart
goes out to these new members as well as those who
have been with us for some time now as Christmas
approaches.
This year both our Awareness Day and Memorial Day
in Toowoomba were again well attended, and I would
like to thank those members who helped out on
these days, as well as Philip and Jane at Hiram Philp
who again worked tirelessly to make the Memorial
Day as special as it was. In place of a formal support
group for our members in Toowoomba this year, I
have offered more personal support in the form of
regular home visits and this appears to be working
well. Given the value of peer support however, I will
also continue to aspire towards recommencing
formal support groups for this region next year.
I would like to take this opportunity to personally
thank our long term volunteer Owen Pontin for his
ongoing dedication to supporting members during
the court process in Toowoomba. Owen has worked
tirelessly, most recently in a trial of long duration,
assisting families above and beyond what was
required of him. It is with Owen’s generosity, and
that of his co-volunteer Diane Lynch, that our group
can be there to provide support to our members in
In 2014/15, the support group for the
Ipswich/Springfield region has continued to prosper.
Each time I leave this group after our monthly
meetings I am always touched by the incredible
difference that peer support makes for our members.
This group has almost become a ‘second family’ for
some of its attendees, and wraps its arms around
them as support. I believe it is a testament to those
who attend this group that make it as helpful as it is
and so I would like to express a huge thank you to
those who attend, both members and team leaders.
Thank you particularly to member Kerry Oestreich for
helping as team leader for this group, and for
sourcing our venue in Springfield. I would also like to
formally acknowledge the contribution of volunteer
Jonathon Willis, as his presence as a co-facilitator has
certainly helped the group run well. In 2016, we are
naturally looking to continue this group, although
there may be a venue change – moving the meeting
place closer to the Ipswich town centre.
On a personal note, this year has again afforded me
opportunity to share in the heartfelt journey of our
members and I continue to feel privileged to be in the
position that I am. People outside of the office often
tell me that my work must be difficult or hard to
endure personally. Indeed this is very true, for each
time I hear the pain of the loss as new families join
our group I wish that I had the power to take that
pain away, or the words that would make a
difference. I know however, that I do not hold such
power. All I can do is simply share the journey and
hope with all my heart that this sharing will somehow
lighten the burden for those I support.
15 Annual Report 2014-2015