Australian comedian, actor and musician Tim Minchin has turned his latest tour into something far bigger than a night of entertainment, raising $300,000 for domestic violence shelters and support organisations across the country, with South Australia’s Catherine House receiving $50,000.
Last year during his ‘Songs The World Will Never Hear’ tour in the United Kingdom Tim noticed that over £100,000 was raised for Médecins Sans Frontières by giving away the proceeds from hundreds of VIP seats.
For the Australian leg of the tour Tim decided to raise money for a variety of shelters and organisations that support women and families in the domestic violence space. He chose to support six in total including South Australia’s Catherine House
Catherine House is South Australia’s only dedicated recovery-based service for women experiencing homelessness, and is the only homelessness service for women unaccompanied by children in South Australia. Based in Adelaide, it provides crisis accommodation, longer-term housing options, and a range of support services to help women regain stability.
The organisation offers emergency shelter for women in immediate need, as well as transitional housing to help them move towards secure, independent living. It also provides case management, counselling, and assistance with accessing healthcare, education, and employment.
Catherine House focuses on creating a safe, women-only environment, recognising that many of the women it supports have experienced trauma, including domestic violence. Their programs are designed to help women rebuild confidence, develop life skills, and break the cycle of homelessness.
Images via Jimi Love
In a post on social media, Tim was thrilled to announce that he has raised $300,000 for the six organisations and shelters, with each receiving $50,000.
Catherine House Manager of Philanthropy and Engagement Jaylee Cooper said Tim is an absolute superstar and is extremely thankful for the donation.
“We are incredibly grateful to Tim for not only his generous donation but for shining a light on the critical work undertaken by the domestic and family violence sector,” she said.
“At Catherine House, more than 80% of the women who come to us have a background of domestic, family and sexual violence. This trauma often leads to their homelessness and sadly is the main cause of people experiencing homelessness across Australia.
“Tim’s donation will directly support our Crisis Accommodation Service, which continues to see unprecedented demand from women desperately seeking accommodation and support.
“Our service relies heavily on donations and fundraising from the South Australian community and without it – we simply could not provide our specialist care for women. We truly can’t thank Tim enough for this generosity.”
Tim also highlighted the importance of raising not only awareness of domestic violence, but also the ongoing need for donations so organisations like these can continue their work.
“If you are interested in helping, they always need help, which is a very sad truth around the world and in this country, domestic violence is a scourge, and we need to attack it from all directions. Let us work towards and pray for a society in which these organisations are redundant.”
For Catherine House, the donation is more than a generous contribution. It is tangible support for women in crisis, and a powerful reminder of how high-profile voices can help drive both awareness and action.
As demand for specialist homelessness and domestic violence services continues to grow, support like this has the potential to change lives.
Immediate, free and 24/7 support for homelessness in South Australia is available through Homeless Connect SA (1800 003 308).
For more information on Catherine House and its services, click here.
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