Over the past year the group has taken on an issue of local prevalence, putting together ‘survival kits’ for women fleeing family violence.

Currently, Lithgow has the 61^st highest rates of domestic related assault incidents of 140 locations statewide. 

“Probably for four or five people meet at my mum’s house in Rydal every Wednesday,” Rachael Young said. 

“They’re friends. We got together in to create a heap of poppies for Rydal out of crepe paper. After that we realised that we enjoyed getting together and creating things.

“Last year we made packs for ‘Day of the Girl’ and that was worthy but they were sent overseas. We decided we wanted to do something that would make an impact in the local area.”

"Some of us live isolated so that we don't necessarily see much of anyone else," Rachael Young’s mum Lorraine Stack said. 

"So we come together and chat. We usually have coffee and talk for the first hour and then work for the second."

The women have purchased combs, bottles of deodarant, toothbrushes and toothpaste using funds they have raised at different events around Rydal.

“We just thought we’d put in the basics because some women leave with only pyjamas or the clothes on their back,” Ms Young said.

“A few of us knit and crochet so we also make a scarf to put in the packs for them to keep.”

So far they have given ten kits to a women’s refuge in Bathurst and ten to Lithgow Community Projects’ women and children refuge. 

“We’re just making ten at a time. We also dropped off some Christmas presents last year for the kids.”