Bishop’s Healing Fund

Bishop Wright has established the Bishop’s Healing Fund, which is an annual allocation of funds (up to $25,000) to assist in promoting the healing of those affected by child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.  The fund is managed by the Standing Committee for Healing and Support which is a part of the Diocesan Protection and Safety Council:

https://www.mn.catholic.org.au/church-mission/diocesan-protection-and-safety-council/

‘Those affected by child abuse’ (also stated as ‘affected persons’) is a collective term to describe those affected by child sexual abuse including individuals who were victims of abuse or the close relative or supporter/friend of individuals who were victims of abuse.  A close relative includes but is not restricted to the parent, partner, biological, step or de facto child or sibling.

Affected persons need to submit a written application for funding. The application form is available for download from this web page.

Approval for funding from the Bishop’s Healing Fund is based on the application being deemed to be of value to those affected by child sexual abuse.

Bishop’s Healing Fund Brochure

  1. The Healing Funds’ target groups are those affected by child sexual abuse perpetrated by church personnel in this Diocese and those residing in this Diocese who have been affected by child sexual abuse perpetrated by a member of a religious order or another Diocese.
  2. The applicant must be an affected person or group of affected persons.
  3. The activities eligible for funding include but are not limited to workshops, presentations, events or other projects or initiatives designed to promote healing or wellness amongst those affected by abuse.
  4. The number of participants targeted will normally be significant (suggested 10 or above) and will ideally be from a number of different family groups.
  5. Any proposal should have some indication or written rationale of the likelihood of a positive outcome for those affected by abuse. A written indication of this can be provided by the service provider/project facilitator.
  6. The service provider/project facilitator or other professionals identified by the applicant to conduct the activity, event, workshop or project should be a qualified professional with expertise in their area.
  7. Participants for the event may be selected/invited by the applicant through a fair and equitable process.
  8. The applicant is free to request assistance in preparing and delivering the event from members of the Healing and Support Team (Zimmerman Services).
  9. If a select group is chosen for a particular and specific project there should be some rationale for this, provided by the service provider/project facilitator or the person/organisation applying for the financial assistance.
  10. Evaluation or feedback from participants in the group would be encouraged to help inform what forms of projects those affected are finding useful.

Bishop’s Healing Fund Application Form

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Support for those affected by abuse: