Our vision
Serving New England since 1975
Grounded in community. Focused on safety.
The Womens Shelter Armidale is one of New South Wales’ longest-serving women’s refuges. We provide practical, trauma-informed support shaped by regional realities, local relationships, and each woman’s choices.
Our story
Two women who refused to look away.
The Womens Shelter Armidale began in 1975, in a sheep paddock, with two veterinarians named Judy and Betty. They saw women and children in Armidale who were unsafe, unsupported, and without anywhere to go. At the time, domestic violence was often treated as a private matter rather than a community responsibility.
Their response was practical and courageous. In those early years, women and children were sometimes driven to safety under blankets because being seen could place them at further risk. By 1977, that grassroots response had grown into a refuge, built by women, for women, and supported by a community that understood safety could not wait.
Today, our work includes refuge, outreach, casework, food relief, health supports, child-focused responses, transitional health care, and practical assistance. The needs have changed and become more complex, but our purpose remains clear. We provide safety first, listen without judgement, support self-determined choices, and advocate for systems that understand regional lives.
Our history is not only about where we began. It is about why we continue.
Our purpose
Vision, mission, and values.
Our mission
To provide trauma-informed, person-centred support to women, children, young people, and their families, including those experiencing homelessness, crisis, instability, domestic, family and sexual violence, and related trauma. We work alongside people to secure safety, housing, wellbeing, connection, and choice, while advocating for stronger systems and communities that support long-term stability.
Our values
These principles guide our decisions, relationships, and everyday practice.
Safety first
Physical, emotional, cultural, and relational safety in every setting.
Respect without judgement
Dignity, privacy, compassion, and accountability.
Choice and self-determination
People make decisions about their own lives, goals, and futures.
Courage in action
We speak plainly, advocate strongly, and act when systems fail.
Equity and access
We respond to regional disadvantage, complexity, and barriers.
Cultural responsiveness
Culturally safe, healing-centred practice shaped by listening.
Integrity
Honest, disciplined, and accountable work.
Collaboration
Partnerships that improve safety, housing, health, and recovery.
Our team
Experienced professionals work together to provide ethical, responsive, and culturally safe support across the New England region.
Team Leader – Case Work
The Team Leader – Case Work leads and supports the case work team to deliver compassionate, trauma-informed, and person-centred services to women, children, young people, and families. They provide day-to-day leadership, mentoring, and practice guidance, ensuring clients receive timely, high-quality support while fostering a collaborative team environment focused on safety, respect, continuous improvement, and positive client outcomes.
Case Workers
Our Case Workers provide trauma-informed, person-centred support to women, children, young people, and families experiencing domestic and family violence or homelessness. Through case management, advocacy, safety planning, and connection with community services, they work alongside clients to build safety, strengthen independence, and support individuals to achieve their goals. Every interaction is guided by compassion, respect, cultural safety, and a commitment to empowering people to make informed decisions about their own lives.
Support Workers
Our Support Workers play a vital role in creating a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment for women, children, young people, and families accessing our services. Working alongside our Case Workers, they provide practical day-to-day support, crisis response, and assistance behind the scenes to ensure the smooth delivery of client services. Through compassionate, trauma-informed, and person-centred practice, they help promote safety, dignity, and independence while contributing to positive outcomes for the people and families we support.
Specialist Child and Young Person Worker
Our Specialist Child and Young Person Worker provides dedicated, trauma-informed, and child-centred support to children and young people who have experienced domestic and family violence or homelessness. Working closely with families, Case Workers, schools, and community services, they support children to build resilience, strengthen emotional wellbeing, and feel safe through therapeutic interventions, advocacy, education, and age-appropriate activities. Every child is recognised as an individual with their own voice, strengths, and needs, ensuring they receive the support required to heal, grow, and thrive.
First Nations Specialist Support Worker
Our First Nations Specialist Support Worker provides culturally safe, trauma-informed, and person-centred support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, children, young people, and families accessing our services. Working alongside our Case Workers, the role provides practical support, advocacy, community engagement, and culturally responsive assistance that promotes safety, wellbeing, and connection to culture. Through strong relationships, respect, and collaboration, the role supports positive outcomes for clients while helping to strengthen culturally safe practice across Womens Shelter Armidale.
CALD Specialist Domestic and Family Violence Case Worker
Our CALD Specialist Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Case Worker provides specialist, trauma-informed, and person-centred support to women, children, young people, and families from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds who are experiencing or at risk of domestic and family violence. Through culturally responsive case management, advocacy, safety planning, and collaboration with community organisations and support services, the role empowers clients to achieve their goals while reducing barriers to accessing support. The role also strengthens partnerships and promotes culturally inclusive practice across Womens Shelter Armidale to ensure services are accessible, respectful, and responsive to the diverse communities we serve.
Health Clinic Coordinator
Our Health Clinic Coordinator oversees the day-to-day operations of the Womens Shelter Armidale Health Clinic, ensuring the delivery of safe, accessible, and high-quality primary healthcare services. Working collaboratively with our General Practitioner and Registered Nurse, the role coordinates clinic operations, supports clients to access healthcare, and promotes a welcoming, trauma-informed, and person-centred environment. Through strong organisation, collaboration, and a commitment to continuous improvement, the Health Clinic Coordinator helps ensure our community receives responsive and culturally appropriate healthcare.
Registered Nurse
Our Registered Nurse provides compassionate, trauma-informed, and person-centred nursing care to women, children, young people, and families accessing the Womens Shelter Armidale Health Clinic. Working collaboratively with our General Practitioner, Health Clinic Coordinator, and external healthcare providers, the role delivers comprehensive health assessments, health education, immunisations, chronic disease support, women’s health services, and care coordination. Through clinical expertise, advocacy, and a commitment to culturally safe practice, our Registered Nurse helps improve health outcomes and supports clients to access the healthcare they need with dignity, respect, and confidence.
General Practitioner
Our General Practitioner provides comprehensive, trauma-informed, and person-centred primary healthcare to women, children, young people, and families accessing the Womens Shelter Armidale Health Clinic. Working collaboratively with our Registered Nurse, Health Clinic Coordinator, and community partners, the role delivers holistic medical care, preventative health, chronic disease management, women’s health services, mental health support, and care planning. Through compassionate, culturally safe, and evidence-based practice, our General Practitioner helps improve health outcomes while ensuring every person feels respected, heard, and supported to achieve their individual health goals.
Cook
Working largely behind the scenes, our Cook prepares nutritious, home-style meals that support women, children, young people, and families experiencing hardship across our community. Through dedication to quality, food safety, and nutrition, the role ensures individuals and families have access to wholesome meals when they need them most. By providing this practical support, our Cook plays an important part in reducing food insecurity and helping Womens Shelter Armidale deliver compassionate, community-focused care beyond our accommodation services.
Administration Coordinator
Our Administration Coordinator provides high-level administrative support to the Executive Management Team, playing a key role in the efficient operation of Womens Shelter Armidale. The role coordinates a range of organisational functions, including volunteer administration, payroll support, financial administration in collaboration with our accountant, donation coordination, and the management of key administrative systems and processes. Through strong organisation, professionalism, and attention to detail, our Administration Coordinator helps ensure the organisation operates efficiently, allowing frontline teams to focus on delivering safe, trauma-informed, and person-centred services to the people and communities we support.
Leadership
Our leadership team combines operational discipline, community experience, and a commitment to safe, sustainable services.
Heidi Burton
Chief Executive Officer
Life’s challenges can be magnified when systems are not built for everyone. Heidi Burton’s passion is to dismantle barriers and create pathways that allow every person, regardless of ability or circumstance, to participate fully in their community.
Heidi is the Chief Executive Officer for the Women’s Shelter Armidale Inc, leading a committed team to provide best practice, place-based services to women and families who experience Domestic and Family Violence and homelessness. She focuses on ensuring services are culturally safe, trauma informed, and responsive to the realities of rural and regional communities.
Prior to joining the Shelter, Heidi worked extensively in the disability advocacy sector where she championed the rights of people with a disability, influenced policy reform, and built strong collaborative networks across government and community organisations. Her work has focused on Supported Decision Making, access and inclusion, and ensuring that those most impacted are included in the design of solutions.
Heidi holds degrees in Psychology, Social Work, Education, a Diploma of Human Resources, and a Diploma of Quality Auditing. She is currently completing her MBA to further strengthen her capability in strategic leadership, governance, and organisational growth.
Raised with a strong rural work ethic and deep connection to community, Heidi combines practical leadership with values-based decision making.
Heidi has lived and worked in regional NSW for many years and is committed to ensuring that women and families have access to safe housing, responsive services, and the opportunity to rebuild their lives with dignity and security.
Kate Leece
Operations Manager
Kate leads operational functions, supports staff, strengthens systems, and helps ensure services are safe, responsive, and high quality. Her responsibilities include quality and compliance, operational systems, strategic projects, continuous improvement, and workplace culture.
Kate is committed to trauma-informed, person-centred practice and to environments where people feel heard, respected, supported, and empowered. She believes strong relationships, collaboration, and kindness are central to meaningful and sustainable change.
Governance
Our governance team contributes professional, community, financial, cultural, and lived regional knowledge to the organisation’s direction and accountability.
Kye Single, Interim Chair and Secretary
Kye brings 20 years of experience in youth work, disability, pastoral care, child protection, and community services. He supports collaboration across the sector through local interagencies, Community Drug Action Teams, and the Australian Services Union. Kye is completing Honours in Community Services at the University of New England and holds qualifications in counselling, ministry, and theology.
Fiona Price, Treasurer
Fiona holds a Bachelor of Economics with Honours from UNSW and worked as an economist at the Reserve Bank of Australia for 13 years. Her community experience includes service as a church treasurer, Lifeline crisis supporter, and facilitator of conversational English classes for international students and refugees. She returned to Armidale in late 2024 and contributes her financial expertise to support the local community.
Sara McNeall
Sara is a primary school music teacher and a member of EMBRACE, a voluntary group connected with the St Mark’s church community. EMBRACE coordinates donations of beds, furniture, and household items for women moving into transitional housing.
Steven Widders, Cultural liaison
Uncle Steve Widders is a descendant of the Kamilaroi and Anaiwan peoples of northern New South Wales. He has extensive experience in disability, multicultural, cultural heritage, and community leadership, including service with the NSW Disability Council, NAIDOC, Multicultural NSW, Newara Aboriginal Corporation, the Anaiwan Language Revival Group, and Armidale AM Rotary Club.
Irene Chetty
Irene is a chemical engineer with a diverse career spanning 10 years in the pulp and paper industry, 7.5 years in mining, and the past decade in water operations. Of these sectors, the water industry has been the most rewarding, allowing her to apply her technical expertise to deliver safe drinking water to communities and uphold rigorous regulatory standards in wastewater treatment. Irene is committed to safe, sustainable, and community-focused water management, and hopes to contribute her professional skills and experience to the WSA Board.
Emma Knight
Jordana Rose D’Cruz
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