IKEA Australia recently concluded its ‘Buy-back Move Forward’ initiative that it formed in partnership with RizeUp, a domestic and family violence charity.
In April, customers who used IKEA’s Buy-back service to return pre-loved furniture had their refund matched dollar-for-dollar. This money was donated directly to RizeUp so that they can furnish the homes of people fleeing domestic or family violence.
Ensuring that survivors of violence have furnished and comfortable new homes to relocate to is a key priority of RizeUp, according to CEO and Founder, Nicolle Edwards.
“In most cases, the families who are fleeing violence will leave with barely the clothes on their backs. So, when the time comes to start again, they are literally starting with nothing.”
“When we are setting up homes for victim-survivors of domestic and family violence we are providing more than just a coffee table and a pillow. What we are doing, is as a community we are providing symbols of safety, freedom, and trauma recovery.”
Domestic and family violence remains a serious issue in Australia, the statistics are shocking:
- On average, one woman a week is murdered by her current or former partner.
- Almost 10 women a day are hospitalised for assault injuries perpetrated by a spouse or domestic partner
- Intimate partner violence contributes to more death, disability and illness in women aged 15 to 44 than any other preventable risk factor (including tobacco use, high cholesterol, or use of illicit drugs).
- Domestic or family violence results in an average of one call to police every two minutes.
- Of the adults who experienced current partner violence, 86.8% indicated that their child saw or heard violence in the last 12 months.
But RizeUp remains committed to reducing these incidences of violence and providing support to those that have experienced it.
Thanks to RizeUp, over 1700 families have been given a safe new home and life. The valuable funds and awareness that has been raised for their work through this IKEA initiative will doubtlessly allow them to help many others.
In related news, IKEA Australia also announced a series of new policies to support co-workers who are impacted by domestic or family violence.
These policies include paid leave and tailored support plans for workers experiencing domestic or family violence. Paid leave is also available to IKEA workers who are supporting family members experiencing domestic or family violence.
CEO of IKEA Australia, Mirja Viinanen, welcomed these changes.
“With domestic and family violence usually manifesting at home, we believe IKEA has a responsibility to help address this critical issue,” she said in a statement.
“Together, we can be part of a positive change in society.”
To learn more about RizeUp, please visit: https://www.rizeup.com.au/
Markos Hasiotis
Markos Hasiotis is a writer and researcher based in Melbourne. He has written content for outlets around the world and volunteered for a variety of causes, including mental health, the environment, animal welfare and Meals on Wheels. His main passion is sharing facts and fighting against the forces of propaganda and misinformation.
