What Women Want Illawarra: Gala and Fundraiser 2026
A long lunch for the women of the Illawarra, with a whole lot of heart. Sunday 25 October 2026 at The Grange Golf Club, Kembla Grange.
What the day actually is
Three hours, three courses, one keynote, and a room full of Illawarra women.
It is not a conference and it is not a black-tie ball. It is a long lunch where you sit at a table of ten, eat properly, hear one speaker worth hearing, put your hand up for the raffle, and go home with a goodie bag. The reason it exists is the money it raises, and in three years it has raised more than $50,000 for local causes.
The first year sold out with a waitlist. Tables tend to go before individual seats do, so most people come as a group of friends, a team from work, or a family.
What Women Want Illawarra: Gala and Fundraiser 2026
- Sunday 25 October 2026 - 12.00pm to 3.00pm, doors 11.30am
- The Grange Golf Club, Princes Highway, Kembla Grange
- $143 per person OR $1,320 table of ten
- Two local charities - Dress for Success and Need a Feed
The 2026 theme
Helping women feel better, not just do more
The day explores simple, practical ways to better understand our bodies, energy and wellbeing, so that women leave feeling more informed, more connected to themselves, and less like the answer is always to push harder.
What your seat includes
- A glass of bubbles on arrival
- A three-course lunch at The Grange
- The 2026 keynote address
- Entry to the major raffle
- A goodie bag valued at over $150
- Cash bar available until 4pm
The 2026 Keynote: Pia Kynoch
Pia Kynoch is a wellbeing specialist, speaker and mentor with more than thirty years of experience exploring the connection between the body, the nervous system and overall wellbeing.
Through Wholeness Medicine, Pia helps women better understand and reconnect with their bodies to create greater energy, resilience and vitality. It is a talk that fits the theme rather than sitting beside it.
Where your ticket goes
Proceeds are shared equally between two Illawarra charities. Neither is a large national brand with a marketing department. Both do quiet, difficult work close to home.
Dress for Success Illawarra
Supports women into work with clothing, coaching and career services at no cost. Their showroom has been running since 2017 and supports more than 450 women a year towards economic independence.
Need a Feed
Supports Illawarra individuals and families facing homelessness, hardship and food insecurity, through meals, care packs and outreach.
Previous years
Why Skin Correctives co-hosts What Women Want
Skin Correctives has been in Shellharbour since 2011, and the clinic's work has always been about how women feel about themselves rather than how they photograph. Dress for Success does the same thing from a different direction: a woman who walks into an interview feeling like herself has a better day than one who does not.
Karen founded and has co-hosted What Women Want since it began, and the clinic is a year-round donation drop-off point for Dress for Success. You can read more on our community projects page.
The Grange Golf Club is on the Princes Highway at Kembla Grange, between Wollongong and Shellharbour, roughly fifteen minutes from either, with parking on site. Doors open at 11.30am and lunch is served from midday.
Our Event Partners & Sponsors
Come and sit
At Our Table
$143 per person, or $1,320 for a table of ten, through Humanitix with payment plans available. Call the clinic on (02) 4297 7455 if you need assistance.
