Grace in Giving - Our Handbags of Hope

Join us by bagging up goodies for Kiwi women affected by domestic violence

It was a murder that shook the nation. Grace Millane, young and vibrant, strangled to death by her Tinder date on the eve of her 22nd birthday. As New Zealanders battled shock and disbelief, the British backpacker inadvertently became the face of violence against women in our country.

“People could see a sister or a friend or cousin in her,” says The Project host Kanoa Lloyd. “The faces of survivors of sexual or domestic violence are usually anonymous. They can be people we’re working with or people we know from school, but it’s often so private and secretive we never find out.”

The 33-year-old is one of a number of people who are getting behind a new initiative, Love Grace, started by Grace’s cousin Hannah O’Callaghan in London, and hopes to make a difference to the lives of the 250 New Zealand women and children who seek refuge in a safe house on any given night throughout the year.

“In my role doing news, we don’t have the choice to ignore headlines,” tells Kanoa. “It was really important to us at The Project to think about how we could talk about this case in a way that was uplifting and potentially find some good in it. Doing something for other women who are in dangerous situations seemed like the right thing to do.”

Love Grace is a three-week campaign that combines Grace’s love of handbags with a legacy to end violence towards women. People are encouraged to dig deep into their wardrobes to find high-quality handbags to donate, as well as toiletries, luxury items and other essentials.