On Thursday 15 February, Women’s Business were honoured to welcome Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of New South Wales, to our hub in Rooty Hill.
We began the visit with a tour of the hub followed by a beautiful Welcome To Country by our team member Brook Toli, a Buruberongal and Wamuli Woman of the Dharug Nation.
The special moments were had sitting around the table, with our staff and Aspirants sharing their stories, what they’ve achieved and why WB2C means so much to them.
Program Manager and team leader Oneeva Tuuhetoka said the visit wasn’t just a huge honour, but an important way for the broader community to understand how life changing the work being done is.
“So much of what we do is out of sight.” Oneeva said. “We are so focussed on working with the women in our community, helping them grow and build better lives, that we don’t often get the chance to speak about what we do and the impact it’s having.
“Having Governor Beazley here and spending the afternoon with us was so empowering.”
Her Excellency shared her time with five of our beautiful and inspiring Aspirants – Margaret, Auntie Kaylene, Penny, Debbie and Mikaylar. These women are living examples of the life-changing outcomes we create with the women we support.
A strong advocate for women, and in particular, First Nations women, Her Excellency said the visit gave her a clear window into the huge impact the programs are having in the community.
“It was wonderful to meet Oneeva and her team, and speak to so many impressive, strong, resilient First Nations women.” she said.
“The work being done here is truly transformational. Being able to hear these stories firsthand, and to see the way lives are being changed and these women are being propelled into meaningful, fulfilling careers was such a privilege.”
We’re so proud to share what we do across our WB2C programs and raise the profile of Women’s Business so we can reach more women in NSW and beyond.
“More than 900 women have signed up to our Women’s Business 2nd Chance program. What they offer is beyond a CV, they have personality and potential.” Said Oneeva.
“These programs offer more than just a job; they restore confidence and give hope to those who walk through our doors broken.”
Thank you to Liam Brennan for these deadly photos!
Women’s Business 2nd Chance Program
Real Futures Women’s Business 2nd Chance (WB2C) Program was established in March 2020. They currently operate in NSW and WA and support over 900 women at their Hubs and with regional outreach.
The vision for the WB2C program and hubs is to create meaningful and lasting opportunities for Indigenous women. Their Hubs provide a culturally safe space where women can come and dream, imagine and become.
The program provides valuable access to employment pathways, quality learning, entrepreneurship, and educational and vocational training workshops.
