Reflecting on a year of change

I came into the organisation in July 2020 as CEO of both DVRCV and Domestic Violence Victoria and am honoured to be leading both organisations through the transition process and into the future as a newly merged entity.

I would like to acknowledge outgoing CEO Emily Maguire’s leadership of DVRCV over the last five years. It’s abundantly clear that DVRCV would not be the organisation it is today if it wasn’t for Emily’s dedication and I look forward to building on her legacy as we move into a new chapter.

Perhaps the most exciting development this year was the Board’s decision to merge with Domestic Violence Victoria. I feel privileged to be leading this phase and am excited about the potential opportunities it provides both organisations to come together to maximise their impact and influence.

I’d like to thank the DVRCV Board who governed the organisation through this time, particularly outgoing Chair Debbie King for her wisdom and expertise during the merge exploration process while continuing to lead the ‘business as usual’ governance of a dynamic and growing organisation.

Of course, preparing to merge was just one of many priorities. This financial year also saw DVRCV forge ahead in key program areas. We experienced an increase in demand for MARAM training and received further funding to expand our work in primary prevention to support the needs of an ever-expanding workforce.

And we continued to support the sector through capability building activities.

• 3,440 participants attended training
• 267 training sessions delivered in person and online
• 8,353 print resources sold and distributed
• 5.9M visits to our websites

It goes without saying that COVID-19 has had the greatest impact not just on DVRCV but on us all. Whilst recognising its unparalleled challenges, particularly on the provision of services and support to victims of family violence during this time, the pandemic has provided us with new opportunities. None of these could have been harnessed without the commitment of our exceptional staff – all of whom have not only adjusted to working remotely during this period but have successfully adapted our professional development and capability building activities for the online environment.

I would like to extend my gratitude to DVRCV’s Board, the Senior Leadership Team, and the phenomenal women I have had the privilege of working with and getting to know these last few months.

I’m excited for the future of this new organisation that we are building together!

Tania Farha
CEO

DOWNLOAD THE ANNUAL REPORT

We’ve also published financial statements and an accessible Word version of the report on our Annual reports page.

The Domestic Violence Victoria Annual Report is available on the DV Vic website.