Celebrating International Women's Day at Hall & Prior

General Manager Health & Care Services WA Jennifer Grieve, Director Michael Hall, Julia Lawrinson and Chief Executive Officer Graeme Prior with a piece of Annie Lawrinson's artwork.

Each year on March 8, we celebrate the incredible women who make up Hall & Prior, as part of International Women’s Day.

This year’s theme is #BeBoldForChange, and it encourages people to take action to accelerate gender parity, through helping women and girls achieve their ambitions and create inclusive, flexible cultures.

Across Hall & Prior’s 24 homes and two home care businesses in Western Australia and New South Wales, a huge 81 percent of staff are female. They make up the majority of the care staff, nurses and management roles.

“I am constantly inspired by the strength, compassion and intelligence the women in this organisation show every day,” Chief Executive Officer Graeme Prior said. “The work they do every day has helped us continue to deliver exceptional care to people in our communities who need it most. I am proud to celebrate our culture of inclusiveness.”

CEO Graeme Prior addresses the audience at the International Women's Day event.

Led by Mr Prior and General Manager Health & Care Services WA Jennifer Grieve, our Perth office was pleased to hold a special event to celebrate the day.

The sundowner featured a presentation from award-winning Perth author Julia Lawrinson. Julia has written more than a dozen books for children and young adults. She spoke to us about her journey writing her latest novel, Before You Forget, which was launched in February. It tells the story of Amelia, a teenage girl dealing trying to cope with her father’s diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease as he slowly loses his memory and forgets everything he knows.

The topic is close to the hearts of all of us who work in care, and draws from Julia’s personal experiences, as well as those of her daughter, Annie. Annie turned to her passion for art to help her deal with her father’s condition, creating incredible portraits. She also created a powerful short film where she discusses the book and her personal experiences.

Alongside her successful writing career, Julia has worked in the public service sector while also achieving her PHD in writing in 2004 and competing a law degree with distinction. She was also the first female Usher of the Black Rod. These elements make her the perfect example of a bold woman, and it was a privilege to hear her speak.

Following the theme of helping women achieve their dreams, we were pleased to feature the work of Perth artist Carla Marotta. Carla hand-made beautiful pairs of earrings for each guest, which were then placed on cards featuring inspiring quotes from women all over the world.

Thank you to all those who joined our celebrations.

To purchase a copy of Before You Forget, click here.

To watch the powerful video piece by Annie Lawrinson, click the link below.