The community of Byron Bay, located on Bundjalung land in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, has had a hard few years. Following two years of COVID-related restrictions hitting the tourism-dependent economy, deadly floods in early 2022 caused further damage to properties and livelihoods.

For Anne Goslett, Founder and Managing Director of local residential education program The SHIFT Project, the twin crises put important projects on pause but allowed the team to engage more closely with the community and tighten up administration.

“Our first grant allowed us to buy a washing machine so we could establish The Linen SHIFT. Financial wellbeing and independence were really important to the women we were working with.” – Anne Goslett

Homeless women are developing skills and confidence through a new social enterprise – The Linen Shift which is headed by The SHIFT Project in Byron Bay.

SHIFT recently expanded after relocating to a commercial venue in the industrial estate and this has enabled them to start delivering The Linen Shift – which is an innovative laundry service providing training, employment and support to women experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

“This new initiative aims to disrupt homelessness by increasing employability, financial well-being and community connection with the women themselves contributing through the work they do,” said Anne Goslett SHIFT Founder/Managing Director.

Why not turn a fun adventure into a way to raise money for a good cause? That’s the conclusion that Sam Lewis came to when she decided to ride to Uluru to raise money for the SHIFT Project.

The Echo Awards, held every five years, was a great success on Wednesday night as it celebrated 35 years of local independent journalism in the Northern Rivers and the community that have supported it throughout those times.

The Echo Community Heart award was Anne Goslett form the Shift Project in Byron Bay.

An organisation that aims to ‘disrupt the cycle of women’s homelessness’ has found a new home after being recently evicted from their premises.

Co-founder of the SHIFT Project, Anne Goslett, told The Echo they are excited to be currently in the process of securing a long lease on a property in the Byron Bay Arts & Industry Estate.

This morning a valuable asset to the Byron community is set to disappear, temporarily, hopefully, not permanently.

With a vision to disrupt the cycle of women’s homelessness, the Linen SHIFT project was born to provide unique individual support and education for at-risk women in a safe residential environment.

The aim had been to double the fundraising efforts of last year for the local SHIFT Project that supports women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness at the pre-loved clothing sale in Byron on 5 September. But organisers and SHIFT Project members were blown away to raise $11,000, more than doubling their previous effort.

Hitting all the marks from recycling to helping others, the SHIFT fundraising sale of preloved and new clothing is taking place this Saturday, 5 September.

The SHIFT Project is aimed at assisting women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Co-organiser Leslie Ford, who is helping co-ordinate the event again this year, said, ‘It is a local charity that acts in our local community helping local women. They are helping people moving into new phases of their lives. It is an active process’.

Local charity the SHIFT Project has benefitted from a $25,000 donated because of a pair of Celtic dancers.

Bunnings held a competition with the hashtag #challengeaccepted which saw dance moves and videos come flooding in from across Australia and New Zealand.

Local charity, the SHIFT Project celebrates its fifth birthday on International Women’s Day this year with their annual IWD lunch, auction and raffle on March 6 at Elements of Byron from 11.30am – 2.30pm.

You may remember Simon Toohey’s face from last year’s Masterchef series, fighting off tough competition to reach the final three.

This year, in amongst his many travel and filming commitments, he has teamed up with The SHIFT Project’s International Women’s Day lunch event, on 6 March at Elements, to be one of their fabulous ‘experience’ auction prizes.

The Southern Cross Credit Union (SCCU) has awarded three community organisations with $5,000 grants.

The fundraising team at The SHIFT Project Byron Bay have come up with the perfect gift for Christmas givers this year – a gift for someone else.

It was so wonderful to be the event photographer for The Shift Project, a local Byron Bay organisation which assists women from disadvantage to empowerment.Held on International Women’s day at the beautiful Elements of Byron Resort in Byron Bay, it was a day filled with good vibes and lots of laughs from local comedian / writer / “MC extraordinare” Mandy Nolan.Local indigenous spokesperson Delta Kay introduced proceedings with a beautiful “welcome to country”, and an engaging panel discussion was led by Shift’s founder and managing director Anne Goslett. It’s wonderful to witness the growth of this amazing organisation which is so incredibly valuable to our local Byron Bay community!

International Women’s Day will be celebrated at Elements Of Byron on March 8 with a focus on the SHIFT Project and on #BalanceforBetter.

The local project aims to empower women through pathways to independence for women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

It’s that time of year when businesses and individuals are thinking ‘how can we save tax?’

One way to reduce your taxable income is by making a charitable donation to a charity registered as a Deductible Gift Recipient.

The founder of a program offering emergency accommodation and help to women has been named Byron Shire’s 2019 Citizen of the Year.

SHIFT Project founder Anne Goslett joined other award recipients in being recognised as tireless contributors to the community at the Australia Day awards presentation, held at the Cavanbah Centre on Friday.

Byron Shire’s Citizen of the Year is Anne Goslett, founder of the SHIFT Project, a residential transitional program for women.

The SHIFT Project Byron supports women through the challenges from homelessness to independence providing educational programs within a supported stable housing environment to develop confidence and motivation for well being.

“SHIFT started as a dream we had walking along the beach thinking something had to change because we were losing too many valuable people in the community to homelessness,” Ms Goslett said.

If you recycle at the Cavanbah Centre in Byron Bay in January and February, Byron’s SHIFT Project is one of the local beneficiaries of your recycling payment.

During Bay FM’s August Radiothon, subscribers were asked if they would like to see $5 of their subscription money donated to one of four charities: The SHIFT Project Byron (for women in crisis), Mullum Cares (environmental action), One Roof Byron (which helps the homeless) or the youth oriented One Vision Productions.

A local not-for-profit that helps women move from homelessness to independence within the community is looking to expand.

Relax, you won’t appear in Woman’s Day, it’s on Women’s Day. On International Women’s Day 8 March, local charity the SHIFT Project, who create opportunities for women at risk of homelessness, is having a lunch at the idyllically situated Beach restaurant in Byron. Fay Jackson, General Manager of Inclusion at Flourish Australia, CEO of Vision In Mind and deputy commissioner of NSW Mental Health, will be the keynote speaker; Aine Tyrell will provide the music and MC Mandy Nolan will provide the laughs and act as auctioneer. All moneys raised from the auction and raffles goes to The SHIFT Project, Byron.

This International Women’s Day (IWD) marks three years since The S.H.I.F.T. Project launched. To celebrate their achievements, they are hosting a fundraiser luncheon at Beach, Byron Bay.

Dj’s Scott Pullen, Stephen Allkins, Dale Stephen and Lord Sut. $12,500 raised for The Shift Project. Thanks to Matt Leedham for the awesome lens action.

Over 80 people gathered at Beach Byron Bay last Wednesday to attend a fundraising luncheon to celebrate International Women’s Day by launching the website for The SHIFT Project Byron.

RevampingByron Bay’s Lawson Lane from an unloved service lane full of rubbish bins into the world’s first ‘curated’ laneway will give women from the SHIFT project, who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, the chance to extend their art skills and knowledge to a new level.

The Byron Farmers’ Market continued its tradition of supporting local organisations with a recent donation to the Liberation Larder and other local charities.

Where government fails, individuals act. A new not-for-profit charity that aims to work with women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness has just been established for Byron Bay.

Called The SHIFT. Project, Byron, it aims to provide educational programs within a supported stable housing environment for women to shift from disadvantage to confidence and a motivation for well-being.

The acronym SHIFT stands for Sustainable, Holistic, Integrative, Focused and Transition.