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LAUNCHED TODAY - Every Call for Help Should Be Heard: DV Safe Phone Sets Goal of 5,000 Lifelines this October

DV SAFE PHONE

Every Call for Help Should Be Heard: DV Safe Phone Sets Goal of 5,000 Lifelines this October 

  

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National charity DV Safe Phone officially launched their SAFE PHONE campaign for October, which is Sexual Violence Awareness Month.

The national launch happened at Queensland Country Bank headquarters with the MOUNT ISA branch collecting phones all OCTOBER .

DV Safe Phone is asking Australians to donate their used mobile phones to become lifelines for victims and survivors of sexual and domestic violence. 

Attending on Monday at Queensland Country Bank included:

• Nikki Firmin from DV Safe Phone
• Janelle Poole APM MP, Member for Mundingburra and Assistant Minister for Community Safety
• Samantha Schulte from The Survivor Service
• Aaron Newman, CEO of Queensland Country Bank
• Rebekah Haynes, Head of Retail Banking at Queensland Country Bank

 

 

October marks Sexual Violence Awareness Month, and national charity DV Safe Phone is calling on Australians to take action – by donating their used mobile phones to become lifelines for victims and survivors of sexual and domestic violence. 

 

The need has never been more urgent. In Queensland, children under 15 make up more than a third of reported sexual assault victims, and our youth are 58% more likely to face tech-facilitated abuse such as harassment, image-based exploitation, or stalking. In 2024, sexual assault reports rose by 11%, the highest level in 32 years, with Queensland recording nearly 10,000 sexual assaults and leading the nation in victims of crime. 

 

Yet these figures only scratch the surface. Sexual violence is grossly underreported – with just 13% of assaults ever reported to police. Many survivors remain silent not by choice, but because their phones are taken, broken, or monitored by perpetrators, leaving them without a safe way to call for help. A safe phone can be the difference between ongoing silence and a chance to seek protection, respite from harassment, support, and recovery. 

 

“For a survivor, a phone isn’t just a device – it’s a lifeline. It’s the difference between silence and survival,” said Ashton Wood, Founder & CEO of DV Safe Phone. 

  

DV Safe Phone repurposes donated devices into “Safe Phones” – untraceable phones equipped with a charger, SIM (where available) and credit – distributed free of charge through frontline agencies, police, hospitals and crisis services. 

 

Member for Mundingburra and Assistant Minister for Community Safety Janelle Poole APM MP knows from her time on the front line how critical DV safe phone sets are to our community’s most vulnerable.

 

“Townsville has one of the highest calls for service for domestic violence in the state and this is a statistic that our government is committed to reducing,” Mrs Poole said. “My office has been a DV Safe phone collection site since I was elected, and this partnership with Queensland Country Bank will create much-needed additional sites to collect this vital resource.”

 

Samantha Schulte, Founder / CEO of The Survivor Service, said through DV Safe Phone, frontline services like The Survivor Service are further empowered to respond to the time-critical needs of victim-survivors by providing a vital resource for safety and connection.

 

"At The Survivor Service, we see firsthand the difference a DV Safe Phone makes. Receiving a DV Safe Phone restores hope, offers relief, and gives victim-survivors the ability to stay connected and make safe choices. For victim-survivors of sexual, domestic, and family violence, 5,000 phones this month means 5,000 more chances for a victim-survivor to receive a vital link to safety and connection as they begin to build a life free from violence."

 

Queenslanders wanting to donate their unused mobile phones can drop them off at 29 Queensland Country Bank branches across the state, from Cairns to Brisbane (see list below).

 

Queensland Country Bank Chief Executive Officer Aaron Newman said the bank was honoured to support DV Safe Phone. “As a community-focused bank, we’re committed to supporting initiatives that make a real difference in people’s lives. By hosting DV Safe Phone donation boxes in our 29 branches, we’re giving our members and staff a simple but powerful way to help survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Every phone donated is a step towards safety and we’re keen to support this in any way that we can," he said.

 

Why It Matters 

A donated phone can: 

• Provide instant access to emergency support and safe housing. 

• Free victims from tech-facilitated abuse such as surveillance or harassment. 

• Connect survivors to counselling, police, or family when they need it most. 

• Offer independence and hope during recovery. 

  

The October Goal: 5,000 Phones, 5,000 Lives 

This October, DV Safe Phone has set a bold target: collect 5,000 donated phones in one month. 

“Each phone represents one life supported, one chance to call for help, one step closer to safety and dignity,” said Nikki Firmin, DV Safe Phone’s Head of Community & Corporate Partnerships. 

  

How you can help: 

Spread the word and launch a phone collection drive within your workplace, school, or community group, every phone counts. 

Donate your used smartphones at one of nearly 1,200 DV Safe Phone collection points including 29 Queensland Country Bank branches or by mail. A map of drop box locations is available on the DV safe Phone website. 

If you don't have a phone to send or would like to do more, help with a tax-deductible donation to fund the preparation of Safe Phones – just $75 per device covers the secure wiping, repairs, kits and postage. 

   

About DV Safe Phone 

Founded in 2020, DV Safe Phone has already repurposed over 15,000 safe phones nationwide, working with more than 500 frontline agencies. The initiative not only restores safety and connection for victims but also diverts tonnes of e-waste from landfill. “Together, we can turn forgotten phones into lifelines,” said Wood. “Because every call for help deserves to be heard.” 

For more information, resources, and how to donate, visit: www.dvsafephone.org 

 

Queensland Country Bank branches collecting used phones include: 

Aitkenvale	Queensland Country Centre, 333 Ross River Road	Aitkenvale
Atherton	Shop 2B - Silo Central. Corner of Silo Road and Gill Street	Atherton
Ayr	186 Queen Street	Ayr
Beaudesert	Beaudesert Fair Shopping Centre, 38 William St	Beaudesert
Booval	34 South Station Road	Booval
Bowen	Shop 6, 37 Williams Street	Bowen
Brisbane	Shop 2, 270 Queen Street, Post Office Square (Adelaide St entrance)	Brisbane
Cairns City	93 Sheridan Street	Cairns
Caneland Central	Shop 2200A, Caneland Central, 2 Mangrove Road	Mackay
Charters Towers	Town Plaza Shopping Centre, Gill Street	Charters Towers
Collinsville	12 Stanley Street	Collinsville
Deeragun	Deeragun Village Shop 7A 31 Geaney Lane	Deeragun
Earlville	Shop 1, 514-516 Mulgrave Road	Earlville
Home Hill	76 Eighth Avenue	Home Hill
Innisfail	Shop 2, 88 Rankin Street	Innisfail
Jimboomba	Shop 30 Jimboomba Shopping Centre, Mt Lindesay Highway	Jimboomba
Maroochydore	21 Duporth Avenue	Maroochydore
Magnetic Island	98-100 Sooning Street	Nelly Bay
Maleny	28 Maple Street	Maleny
Mount Isa	70 Camooweal Street,	Mount Isa
Mount Pleasant	Shop 144 Mt Pleasant Shopping Centre, Cnr Phillip Street and Busacia Road	Mount Pleasant
Riverlink	Shop 6a, Riverlink Shopping Centre, Cnr Downs Street and The Terrace,	North Ipswich
Rockhampton	103 Bolsover St	Rockhampton
Smithfield	Shop 67 Smithfield Shopping Centre, Corner Captain Cook and Kennedy Highways	Smithfield
Stanthorpe	3 Maryland Street	Stanthorpe
Townsville City	1/139 Sturt Street	Townsville
Virginia	Powerlink Queensland, 33 Harold Street	Virginia
Weipa	Cnr Kerr Point Road and Commercial Avenue	Weipa
Willows	Shop 38 Willows Shopping town,	Kirwan

 

 

Media Contact: 
Nikki Firmin
DV Safe Phone 

Head of Community and Corporate Partnerships
Phone: 0419776226
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.dvsafephone.org 

 

Anna Gilbert

Head of Marketing

DV Safe Phone

[email protected]

M. 0401 379 805

 

Contact details:

Kath Rose

0416 291 493

[email protected]