The Australian Women’s Weekly has partnered with charity Wounded Heroes Australia to launch Acts of Service, a new monthly podcast series exploring love, service, sacrifice and the often-unseen role played by the partners and families of Australia’s veterans.
The series is an extension of The Australian Women’s Weekly Love Stories podcast and forms part of a deeply integrated, omnichannel partnership across Are Media.
Each month, Acts of Service will bring together veterans and the people closest to them to share stories about relationships shaped by military service, and the impact that service can continue to have long after someone returns home.
The first episode explores what it takes to keep Australia’s only national, 24/7 first-response veteran charity operating.
Wounded Heroes President Martin Shaw and his wife Kim join host Tiffany Dunk to discuss what happens when those who serve return home, while sharing their own love story.
Episode two features decorated Paralympian and former Australian Army combat engineer Curtis McGrath OAM and his wife Rachel, reflecting on their relationship before and after Curtis lost both legs while serving in Afghanistan in 2012. They discuss recovery, rehabilitation, parenthood and the often-unseen role partners play in supporting veterans.
Martin Shaw, president of Wounded Heroes Australia, said the partnership would help broaden understanding of the impact military service can have across an entire family.
“At Wounded Heroes Australia, we see every day that the impact of service rarely stops with the person who wore the uniform. Partners, children and families can carry an enormous emotional and practical load, often quietly and without recognition.
“Acts of Service gives those experiences a voice. Through The Australian Women’s Weekly, we have an opportunity to take these stories to a much broader audience, build greater understanding of what veteran families experience and, importantly, remind veterans and their loved ones that support is available when they need it.”
Wounded Heroes Australia provides 24-hour, seven-day-a-week crisis support for veterans and their families, providing an immediate lifeline for people experiencing crisis.
Rachel Fountain, head of vodcasts at Are Media, said Acts of Service demonstrated the potential to extend established editorial franchises through meaningful long-form audio and video storytelling.
“Love Stories has always been about connection, deep relationships in all their forms and complexity, and Acts of Service is a natural and powerful extension of that idea. These are stories of love, resilience and partnership, but they also give a platform to experiences that can too easily go unseen.
“The stories these veterans and their loved ones are telling deserve to be heard by all Australians, and they’re really resonating with The Weekly’s podcast audience already. Love Stories has hit a real chord with our YouTube audience, and our special Acts of Service series is no different.
“For us, the strongest partnerships are those where a brand or organisation genuinely adds something to the audience experience. Wounded Heroes brings an important purpose to this series, while The Weekly can use the trust, reach and storytelling capability of the brand to help these conversations travel much further.”
The partnership will also be amplified across The Australian Women’s Weekly’s print, digital and social channels, supported by editorial inclusions, social content, print advertising and digital display.
The first two episodes of Acts of Service are available now.
