CURVY model Raylee-jo Sinclair, who won Myer’s Big is Beautiful competition in 2012, is helping to raise funds for the Butterfly Foundation, the national peak organisation for eating disorders and body image.
Ms Sinclair, represented by Scene Model Management, played a starring role at Ocean Keys Shopping Centre’s Real Women Real Brunch event on Sunday, March 26.
According to the foundation, two major areas of concern for young people today are body image and self-esteem.
Butterfly Foundation chief executive officer Christine Morgan said a key area of the foundation’s work was education, with programs aimed at children and young people, parents, teachers, and health professionals.
“Our prevention focused workshops and presentations challenge cultural ideals around weight and appearance, encourage a healthy and positive relationship with food and exercise and help in building resilience for everyday life,” she said.
“Highlighting the difference in a models size i.e. ‘plus size’ is not helpful language – we encourage the use of the term ‘model’ and having them represent a range of shapes, sizes, colours and cultures in an effort to celebrate and promote body diversity,” she said.
The foundation’s Butterfly Education will be visiting Western Australia in September – running professional development workshops in Perth (Tuesday, September 5) and Geraldton (Wednesday, September 6) and will be taking bookings for face-to-face workshops in schools in these areas.
An Ocean Keys Shopping Centre spokeswoman said the centre would donate $10 to the Butterfly Foundation for every guest who attended the Real Women Real Brunch event to help fund the workshops.
The Real Women Real Brunch event featured a live style-workshop led by stylist Des Eddy and radio presenter Heidi Anderson.
More information on the Butterfly Foundation’s WA workshops can be found on the website www.thebutterflyfoundation.org.au or by contacting the foundation’s Education Coordinator Helen Bird on (02) 8456 3908.
Those seeking help and support with negative body image or an eating disorder can call the Butterfly Foundation’s national support line on 1800 33 4673 or visit the website.
