Introduce yourself! Who are you and how did you come to be at WAGEC?
My name is Nicole Yade and I am the new Director of Client Operations at WAGEC. For all of my professional life I have worked with people who have experienced trauma. I have a lived experience of domestic violence myself and am absolutely committed to providing best practice care for the women and children we serve. I served on the Board of DVNSW (Domestic Violence NSW) for 3 years alongside Helen Waters Silvia our WAGEC CEO and learnt more about the work of WAGEC there. I was really impressed with the strategic vision and Ethical Stance the organisation has built. I thought, “that’s a place I can really do my best work, with other incredible women and keeping women and children at the centre of everything we do!”
How did you first hear about WAGEC and what was your first impression of the organisation?
I have worked in the sector for over 25 years and have long admired the work of WAGEC! It has been awesome to see a progressive and feminist organisation leading the charge for attuned and wholistic interventions with the women and children we serve. While the heart and soul of WAGEC has to be the transformative work that happens in the refuges we run, I was also really impressed to see the innovative projects WAGEC is delivering – from a focus on primary prevention to research and evaluation, alongside strengthening our model of care and working with volunteers in programs such as ACCESS which supports women build economic security. It truly is an awesome team of women everywhere you turn!
What key learnings from working in the women’s sector will you bring to your role and team?
Domestic and family violence is unfortunately still so common in our communities, but with the right supports women and their children can heal and go on to do amazing things! My grandmother used to say – “some sets of problems are bigger than one set of hands” and our job is definitely to be that extra set of hands to help sort things out and be sure that no one ever feels like they have to do it all alone. Some times we all feel tired and unsure but ultimately the strength and determination of women supporting women is so powerful and really can change the world!
What does community mean to you?
It does take a village! And I am so inspired to see different people with different backgrounds, skills and talents coming together to serve women and children who may be experiencing some of the toughest days of their lives. It’s been my pleasure to get to know the WAGEC community and work together to make things happen. Just this week I saw that positive energy and momentum happening at one of our sites where a team of Corporate volunteers so graciously gave up their day to tidy up, and reimagine some of the spaces where our clients live. They even brought fairy lights! It lifted my heart to see so many men and women genuinely care – and if we are going to change the experiences of women and children in our community it is exactly that tenacious and caring spirit that will make the difference!
