South West Womens Health and Information Centre receives funding for new outreach service

As announced in January, the South West Women's Health and Information Centre will use the funding to create 'Dragonfly Coffee', an outreach service delivered in the form of a mobile coffee van.

South West Women's Health and Information Centre chief executive Lesley Jackes said the van would be based in Bunbury but used at events throughout the South West.

She said the idea for the service had been spoken about at the centre several years.

"The team often thought about how to conduct a mobile outreach service paired with something like food or coffee, in order to serve women in not only Bunbury, but all country towns," Ms Jackes said.

"This service will be an opportunity for regional women in particular to ask for information in a neutral and community setting, but to have a coffee as well."

Named to reflect the centre's dragonfly logo, the service will enable face-to-face contact for women seeking information and support in regards to health education, wellbeing and general support.

Ms Jackes said the service was now in development with training staff and seeking volunteers to help out as baristas.

"Along with the state government funding, the City of Bunbury has been supporting us with all aspects of the outreach service.

"We will soon begin training women volunteers in all areas, including sexual health.

"We feel this is a very valuable service because staff and volunteers will be able to provide women information on health and mental wellbeing, with coffee at as high a standard that any other coffee van will have."

It is expected that 'Dragonfly Coffee' will begin in the first half of 2022.