Bars Behind Me
Walking with First Nations women, from prison to purpose!
Acknowledgement
Welcome/Acknowledgement to Country was never intended for boardrooms or stages - it's a sacred ceremony of survival, offered by knowledge holders to guide travelers safely across harsh lands. It carries more than welcome — It holds wisdom, lore, & respect.
Here at BBM, we respect all Aboriginal people of this Country
Empowering Aboriginal Women
Meet the Founder
My name is Barbara Brennan I am a proud Aboriginal woman of Gumbaynggirr descent with solid lifetime ties to Wodi Wodi Country of the Illawarra. I have long been a community advocate, and my lived experience leadership work centres around justice, healing, and systemic change.
Now the founder and Managing Director of Bars Behind Me Incorporated, an Aboriginal community-controlled organisation supporting women impacted by the justice system. Through BBM, I hope to build a legacy of empowerment, healing, and reintegration, grounded in culture and guided by the voices of women who have walked the hard road and survived.
This work bridges the grassroots with policy spaces, using our powerful voice to shape conversations around incarceration, mental health, and cultural safety. this approach is steeped in authenticity, lived truth, and cultural responsibility. I am committed to making sure the next generation of Aboriginal women aren’t just surviving, but leading.
Our Programs
Women's Business
Keeping Cultural Cconnections strong, by practicing cultural ceremony, and sharing stories and knowledge, is our responsibility
10am Video call
Our video call lets each woman be seen and heard as she is!
Setting a small goal for the day gives us purpose for the day and a celebration of achievement.
Saltwater sessions
Saltwater sessions
Saltwater healing!
Every Sunday at 10am we meet at Belambi beach, walk in the water and yarn and connect, then have brunch!
On cold days, we have other cultural activities that help us heal and connect.
Supports and Advocacy
Advocacy
Bars Behind Me doesn’t wait to be invited into the conversation — we bring the voices of our women directly to the tables where decisions are made. From ministerial meetings to grassroots advocacy, we stand strong in the belief that lived experience is expertise. If it impacts our women and communities, we show up. Because our sista’s are not the problem to be managed — they are part of the solution.
Legally blak
“Legally Blak” was coined by our sista Nolz, referring to the end result of jumping through all the hoops just to get ID.
When you get released from prison, if you don’t have a wallet or ID in your property, you’re starting from scratch.
You can take your release certificate to Centrelink and ask for an income statement, an interim healthcare card, and an interim Medicare card. If you can get to a local Aboriginal service provider, ask them to write a support letter explaining who you are, your circumstances of release, and that you are currently experiencing severe financial hardship.
That is usually enough to apply for a birth certificate with the fee waived. Even then, it can still take up to six weeks to process.
If you have previously held a licence or proof of age card, you may be able to have it reissued.
Supported study=The Vibe
“The Vibe” was created because too many of our women have walked into education spaces carrying lived experience that is misunderstood, judged, or undervalued by people who have never walked our journeys. So, we created our own safe space — one built on cultural safety, encouragement, understanding, and real sisterhood.
Through self-paced online study in Certificate IV Community Services, each woman is moving closer to building her own platform of expertise, leadership, and purpose. At Bars Behind Me, we know lived experience is powerful knowledge, and we take great pride in standing beside our women every step of the way — cheering them on as they grow, heal, and step into their future.
contact
Better yet, see us in person!
Every Sunday 10am Bellambi Beach, Saltwater session
Bars Behind Me Incorporated
Ph 0466551835 Email: barbara@barsbehindme.org.au Po Box 30 Dapro NSW 2530
