Angelhands business manager Paul Buckman, Angelhands project co-ordinator Kathy Csaba, Angelhands founder Dr Ann O’Neill, Maylands MLA Lisa Baker and Police Minister Michelle Roberts.
Camera IconAngelhands business manager Paul Buckman, Angelhands project co-ordinator Kathy Csaba, Angelhands founder Dr Ann O’Neill, Maylands MLA Lisa Baker and Police Minister Michelle Roberts. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Maylands: Angelhands Gateway receives grants to help women and young people in need

Kristie LimEastern Reporter

A MAYLANDS crime support organisation will launch a new program in a bid to lower women and young people from reoffending in 2018.

Angelhands, based at The Rise, received grants from Lotterywest ($44,587), Department of the Attorney General’s Office ($93,800) and Minderoo ($10,183) while providing $45,159 from its own funds to form the Gateway pilot project.

The project will prioritise culturally and linguistically diverse participants and aims to help them to master trauma symptoms, reduce social isolation, maintain a sense of belonging and achieve good health and wellbeing.

PerthNow Digital Edition.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

Maylands MLA Lisa Baker also provided $23,000 towards Angelhands’ CREW program, which used art to help people deal with their post traumatic stress disorder, through the State Government’s Local Project Local Jobs funding program earlier this year.

Angelhands Gateway project co-ordinator Kathy Csaba said the program looked at the correlation between risky behaviours and trauma.

“During the 10-week program, people will learn how to identify what are the issues they need to work on and make good life decisions,” she said.

Police Minister Michelle Roberts said saving trauma in the long term would save money spent on keeping people in jail.

“I think we can always improve relations between local police and crime prevention officers but police are more than anyone aware of the value of prevention,” she said.

“If we can keep people out of prison, if we can keep people healthy and well and not harming themselves or anyone else, it is just such a brilliant outcome.”

Bayswater Police officer-in-charge John Waghorn said there had been a 9 per cent increase in domestic violence reports over the past 12 months.

“As an agency, I think we have come a long way and I think we are a lot more tuned to look after the victim,” he said,

“Sometimes, there is a silver lining to the spike in reported offences because it shows victims of domestic violence are keener to report police whether as two years ago they might not.”

MORE: Woman who uses walking stick convicted of assaulting a police officer

MORE: PM Malcolm Turnbull pledges $5.5m for Willetton Basketball Stadium

MORE: Top tips for creating a beautiful, low-maintenance garden