Councillor’s cash

City of Casey councillor Michael Farley has given $1200 to the Oak Grove Community Centre to fund self-protection classes run by the teacher, Trish Clark.23631 Picture: Luke Plummer

By Lia Bichel
Women who attended the class last night learned self-defence and other techniques to protect themselves from attackers.
“We ran the classes a couple years ago after the instructor, Tricia Clarke, approached me and asked if I would be interested in funding them. I jumped on it, I thought it was a great idea,” Cr Farley said. “The feedback was really positive, so we are doing it again this year.”
Ms Clarke, accredited with the Victorian Institute of Sport, said she had been threatened by drug dealers and believed the course was valuable in teaching women safety techniques in similar situations. “If women are grabbed or attacked they will know how to protect themselves.”
Two more sessions will be offered at the Oak Grove Community Centre in November, and with Christmas approaching, Cr Farley said, there was no better time to get involved.
“Women often spend a lot of money at Christmas, doing shopping for the family or having to pay extra bills, so they are more prone to getting robbed,” he said.
“These classes help women to defend themselves and increase their personal safety in general. It will help women in the community empower themselves and feel more safe to walk the streets.”