What bloomed as Protea Place in Warwick, with roots in this entity in Toowoomba, will continue to help vulnerable women thanks to the the continued support of Warwick-Killarney Uniting Church who have pledged a preliminary "caretaker role".
In doing so, Protea Place Warwick has been renamed as Willow Tree 37.
Uniting Church Communications leader, Sue Campbell acknowledged "the remarkable work" within the local, 12-month pilot Protea Place program, committing to "continuing this legacy of care and support for women in need in our community".
Looking back, she advised that in mid-2022 the church community "started to actively investigate how a church could use current resources and assets to enrich our local community".
"As part of that search we came across Protea Place, as established in Toowoomba, and realised that its mission – to provide support to vulnerable women – was completely relevant and equally necessary in the Southern Downs. And with the support and guidance of the Protea Place parent group, we began this journey to provide a drop-in support centre for women in need in our community."
The "major renovations" of the church's facility, along with local donations, allowed the August 1, 2023 opening with two part-time support workers.
Since then, Sue Campbell said more than 100 women "have been able to receive support in a variety of ways – from finding accommodation, temporary and more permanent, (and) legal connections, (as well as) laundry, and bathroom facilities".
In late June this year, Protea Place "announced that they wished to set the Warwick centre on its own path and release this centre from their oversight".
"As the Uniting Church had initiated this program and supported its operations from the beginning, we were heavily invested in its continuation and so announced that until a committed local management team and legal structure was developed, we would shepherd the work of this centre and these two support workers."
The handover has been guided by the church's legal representatives.
Looking forward, Willow Tree 37 will open from 10am to 2pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 37 Guy Street Warwick, with the two support workers. Donations that were previously given will continue to be appreciated and the Warwick-Killarney Uniting Church’s caretakership will proceed until early 2025. Willow Tree 37 will eventually operate independently of the church.
"The new management team is comprised of committed, local people who will help lead this group into the future," Sue Campbell further said, "(But) funds to provide for wages and general operating cost will always be a concern."
