Sign In / Register
Rodney and Hibiscus Coast residents donated close to 500 bags for the 2026 Love Grace Handbag appeal.
The appeal was set up to honour Grace Millane who was murdered in 2018 while travelling in New Zealand.
The handbags are filled with essential items and will be donated to women in refuges across the country, who often leave homes with next to nothing.
Once the handbags are received, organisers say they are checked by co-ordinators to ensure that the six essential items are included, and nothing from the “don’t include” list has been added.
The Love Grace and White Ribbon tags are then added so that the women receiving them know the handbag has been given in Grace’s memory and through the kindness of someone in the community, before being delivered to local women’s refuges and support services.
Hestia Rodney Refuge Centre manager Claudia says the response has grown incredibly over the past few years and they are so grateful for the support.
“Thank you to everyone who donated, it really does change the lives of women and we see first-hand the impact it makes,” she says.
She credited the growth in the campaign to the involvement of Detective Inspector Scott Beard, who led the investigation into Grace’s case and continues to be a strong advocate against domestic and sexual violence.
The screening of the documentary “The Lie” on Netflix about the investigation had also helped raise awareness, she says.
“Three years ago, we got about 30 bags, but since Beard got involved, it has grown.”
However, Claudia says Hestia Rodney is operating at full capacity, and it is the busiest they have ever been. The situation had been made worse with the loss of many support services, she says.
“Increased pressures on families, including drugs and alcohol, as well as the high cost of living are key drivers , but family violence runs across all socio-economic groups.”
Once the bags are received, some could be sent to support refuges further north, Claudia says, as they often struggled for resources, while the rest would go to refuges across Rodney and the Hibiscus Coast.
