To highlight the rising number of women and their children experiencing homelessness , IKEA, in partnership with Save the Children, has launched installations to highlight the impact of domestic and family violence as part of its ‘This is not a home’ campaign in its Tempe store.
IKEA believes that everyone deserves a place to call home. A home that is safe, stable, secure and meets their needs. Yet every night across the country, there are over 120,000 people experiencing homelessness and seeking shelter in places that should never have to be called a home – whether that’s a car, a tent or sleeping on a friend or relatives’ couch.
Bringing hidden homelessness out of the shadows and into the IKEA Tempe store, customers will be confronted by different scenes as they go about their customer journey. On entry to the store customers will see a car that is being used as a home, they will then find a sofa within an IKEA roomset that is being slept on and can discover a tent in the IKEA restaurant. The installations exhibit a series of confronting realities to customers, which reveal the real-life living conditions facing thousands of Australians forced to seek shelter in places that should never have to be called a home.
IKEA and Save the Children have come together to help support survivors of domestic and family violence throughout their journey to safety, recovery and ultimately to find a place to call home. This includes financial assistance for housing and specialist support services, along with design expertise and home furnishings for different types of refuge accommodation.
As part of the campaign, IKEA is inviting customers to join them in taking action by making a donation to Save the Children whenever they shop in store, online or remote. This will help ensure more survivors of domestic and family violence are supported throughout their journey to long-term recovery and do not end up homeless.
Mirja Viinanen, Chief Executive Officer, IKEA Australia, said: “At IKEA, our vision is to create a better everyday life at home. With domestic and family violence usually manifesting at home, and being a leading cause of homelessness in Australia, IKEA believes we have a responsibility to help address this critical national issue.
Currently in Australia, more than 1 in 4 women have experienced domestic and family violence and 1 in 3 Australian children have experienced domestic and family violence before the age of 10 – this reality is exacerbated by a shortfall of crisis, transitional or long-term housing for the victim-survivors and their families.
The purpose of bringing ‘This is not a home’ to life in our Tempe store in collaboration with Save the Children is to help to raise awareness of the stark living situations of women and children escaping domestic violence across the country. Here at IKEA Australia, we are supporting Save the Children with design projects, donations of household products and financial aid – however, we realise the challenge is great, and we hope that our campaign can encourage nation-wide support to ensure more families do not end up homeless as a result of domestic and family violence.”
Mat Tinkler, Chief Executive Officer, Save the Children Australia, commented: “We are proud to partner with IKEA to raise awareness of domestic and family violence by sharing the stories we hear from women and children across the country. The impact of domestic and family violence on children can be profound and long-lasting, however children sadly remain all but invisible in DFV policy and services. This campaign has allowed us to shine a light on women and children’s experiences and the importance of providing support services that reflect the needs of a child. Each scene created in the Tempe store activation is informed by a collection of experiences of women and children who have fled a violent home and were supported by Save the Children on the journey to safety and recovery.
“Our partnership and support from IKEA customers in store and online will allow us to provide much needed support – including financial assistance for housing and specialist support services, along with design expertise and home furnishings to help make our refuges welcoming and comfortable for children and families.”
‘This is not a home’ will be on display in the IKEA Tempe store from 5 June – 31 July. IKEA customers can make a donation to Save the Children at the IKEA checkout instore or online via https://ikea.com.au/aplacecalledhome.
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About IKEA:
IKEA offers well-designed, functional and affordable, high-quality home furnishing products, produced with care for people and the environment. There are several companies with different owners, working under the IKEA Brand, all sharing the same vision: to create a better everyday life for the many people. IKEA was founded in Sweden in 1943.
About Save the Children Australia:
Save the Children is Australia's largest aid and development agency dedicated to helping children. Here in Australia and around the world, Save the Children gives a powerful voice to children and champions their rights, protecting them from abuse and neglect, providing access to healthcare and education and assisting children in times of emergency. Save the Children has worked in Australia for over 100 years and provides quality services to children and their caregivers in every state and the Northern Territory, advocating with them so that children develop, learn, and are connected, safe and confident. This work includes refuge accommodation and outreach for women and children impacted by violence in Queensland and specialist violence and assault services nationally. As a global organisation, Save the Children directly reaches millions of children whose rights are threatened across more than 100 countries every year.
The Partnership:
IKEA has partnered with Save the Children Australia to raise awareness of homelessness driven by domestic and family violence, and to help support survivors throughout their journey to safety, recovery and ultimately to find a place to call home. This includes financial assistance for Save the Children Australia housing and support services, along with design expertise and home furnishings for different types of refuge accommodation, which will:
- Create inviting spaces in refuges, so that women and children feel safe and comfortable as they begin to recover and plan their next steps with support from Save the Children Australia;
- Support women and children to move into their own housing; and
- Equip women with the resources to transition out of refuges.