More than 1000 people packed Brisbane’s Convention and Exhibition Centre this morning to help raise money for women who are fighting to overcome an addiction.

It’s a joint initiative by the Salvation Army, Rotary and Zonta.

David De Witt reports.

TRANSCRIPT

This fundraising breakfast is part of a bid to raise the final $230,000 for a recovery centre specifically for women in Red Hill.

Globally one in 10 people struggle with some form of addiction including drugs and gambling.

Today’s keynote speaker, best-selling author and Australian of the Year Cynthia Morton, shared her emotional story.

Cynthia Morton, Former Addict: “Like maggots crawling on your skin, your liver contracts, you’re vomiting, you’re ill and there’s just nowhere to go. For women that’s a major, major dilemna.”

Salvation Army Major Graham Tamsett says there’s already a long list of people desperate for help.

Major Graham Tamsett, Salvation Army: “The demand is just huge for people looking to get well from recovery and we as a community need to be making places available so people can have the opportunity to turn their lives around.”

Kylie, a former addict who recovered at another Salvation Army centre, says current services aren’t enough.

Kylie: “So a lot of women are going from detox back into society and not being able to cope with the pressure and back into addiction again.”

This is the site that Rotary and the Salvation Army hopes to build a new 20-bed recovery centre.

The facility will help to alleviate the chronic shortages of beds for female addicts hoping to turn their life around.

It’s hoped today’s breakfast will get the project over the line.

David De Witt, QUT News.