Friends with Dignity

Our partnership with Pole Divas

Pole Divas raises over $25,000 for Friends with Dignity

Since 2023, Pole Divas, a pole and aerial dancing studio with locations across Victoria, Australia, have proudly partnered with Friends with Dignity. Across the state, the studios have joined forces to raise funds and awareness through events, workshops, donation drives, and promotion on their digital channels.

As part of the Friends with Dignity team and as a proud Melburnian, liaising with Pole Divas has been incredible. I wanted to share not only the impact they’ve made, but why our partnership feels so aligned.

One reason it works so well is how our missions complement each other. Pole Divas empowers women in a safe, supportive environment, helping them build confidence, self-love, and connection through pole, dance, and aerial movement. Friends with Dignity works to improve the quality of life for adults and children impacted by domestic violence, providing resources, programs, scholarships, and support to enhance personal safety. Both organisations are rooted in empowerment, safety, and community, making this collaboration a perfect match.

I spoke to Kennetta Hutchens, Director of Pole Divas, about her motivation for partnering with Friends with Dignity. Her response reflects that shared mission:

"Divas partnered with Friends with Dignity because your mission reflects everything we believe in - strength, resilience, and rebuilding with confidence. Supporting women as they reclaim their lives felt like a very natural extension of what we strive to do every day in our studios."

Kennetta Hutchens

Director of Pole Divas

Kennetta has gone above and beyond, supporting not only through her business but personally volunteering with our Melbourne team – assisting with donations and setting up homes for victim-survivors through our Sanctuary Program.

When Pole Divas officially came on board as a supporter, we were thrilled to see the impact they could achieve.

On top of running many drives over the years, including participating in our April PJ Drive and various donation drives collecting linen and bathroom supplies – all eight Pole Divas studios recently hosted fundraising workshops, with 100% of proceeds going directly to Friends with Dignity. Together, these workshops raised an incredible $6,323.46, with every dollar helping us continue to provide practical, life-changing support to those who need it most.

Kennetta shared her thoughts on her community’s efforts:

"Seeing our community rally to raise $25,000 has been incredible. Our students and team always give so much heart - from fundraisers to workshops to drives, everyone genuinely wants to make a difference. It's proof of the power of women lifting each other up."

Kennetta Hutchens

Director of Pole Divas

Their generosity doesn’t stop there. The Pole Divas team will once again be supporting our annual Christmas Drive, and all ticket sales from their end-of-year Christmas Showcases will be donated directly to Friends with Dignity.

Partnerships like this remind us how grateful we are for our community. We look forward to continuing this partnership and supporting the lives of those impacted by domestic and family violence, together.

Want to partner with us?

If your business or community group is looking for a meaningful way to give back, we’d love to partner with you. Together, we can create real impact for families rebuilding their lives after domestic violence.

Written by:

Georgia Benedetti – Marketing and Communications Coordinator and Volunteer for Friends with Dignity