WCS Partnership
Our Partnership with Women’s Community Shelters (WCS)
Existing services cannot meet the demand for crisis accommodation for homeless women. Women’s Community Shelters (WCS) was founded to close this gap by replicating our Shelter’s social franchise model, led by Peter and Ellie Hunt, with Gina Anderson.
The WCS Hub (Head office) is the professional service core of the entire WCS Shelter Network that underpins the establishment and operations of each WCS Shelter. A team of 17 professional skilled Hub staff provide support to local communities interested in opening shelters and transitional properties, and to shelter staff and Boards during shelter establishment and operations.
WCS works with communities to establish new shelters. Receiving emergency accommodation and support in a safe environment enables homeless women to rebuild self-esteem and achieve control and fulfilment in their lives.
The number of Sister Shelters is growing:
- Hornsby Kuringgai Women’s Shelter opened in 2014.
- ‘The Sanctuary’ The Hills Women’s Shelter in the North West of Sydney and The Great Lakes Women’s Shelter in Forster-Tuncurry both followed in 2016.
- ‘The Haven’ Nepean Women’s Shelter opened in 2018.
- Bayside Women’s Shelter and Parramatta Women’s Shelter opened in 2019.
- ‘Blue Wren House’ Camden Women’s Shelter opened in 2022.
- ‘Biyani House’ Revesby Women’s Shelter opened in 2021.
WCS brings expertise in governance, intellectual property, professional development and project management to communities running and looking to establish new shelters. With a strong, experienced Board, and a highly professional team, WCS is focused on supporting each shelter to develop best practice and achieve positive individual outcomes for residents, while remaining cost efficient.
Aligning with WCS allows NBWS to benefit from the umbrella organisation’s expertise.
Women need a range of support services, not just help finding affordable housing. These services include access to counselling, health care, assistance navigating government bureaucracy, legal help, further education and employment: building blocks toward re-establishing control over one’s life.
At a time of reduced government spending, WCS offers a new and ground-breaking ‘tri-partite’ funding model in which Government, philanthropy, business and community all work to provide funding to establish and operate shelters.