CWA Caversham is one of the craft groups aiming to help reach 100m of ‘purple road’ this year.

The Purple Road is an awareness raising campaign encouraging people to share their stories for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

The ‘purple road’ is a collaborative creative project where elders who have experienced abuse can come together to crochet purple flowers symbolising their own unique stories and share it with others.

The flowers are then combined on a purple tapestry that add to the larger story of elder abuse throughout the state – told from Broome to Albany and by all the craft groups in between.

The Purple Road is organised by Older People’s Rights Service, which is a service within the Northern Suburbs Community Legal Centre (NSCLC).

They are calling on those with lived experience to come forward and take part in forming a united voice against the maltreatment of seniors.

According to the Department of Communities, elder abuse affects one in six older Western Australians and may involve many different forms of abuse.

NSCLC peer educator Judy Joukador said, in an announcement last updated by the Department of Communities in 2023, elder abuse is often called Australia’s secret shame and something like the purple road acted as a conversation starter.

The stretch of purple road created by CWA Caversham’s craft group depicts elements within their area such as Swan River, Whiteman Park, grapes, olives, and wine.

It is on display at Beechboro public library.