Charities get funding boost
BAME GROUPS OFFERING SPECIALIST SERVICES ‘WILL BENEFIT’
MORE than 100 frontline domestic abuse charities have been given more than £8 million of government funding, it was announced last Friday (5).
Services and support networks for domestic abuse survivors will benefit from a £8.1m pot of government funding, which will fund more than 1,500 refuge spaces as well as specialist support such as counselling.
Homelessness minister Luke Hall said last week that protecting survivors of domestic abuse was an “absolute priority during these unprecedented times and beyond”.
“The funding will give charities the vital lifeline they need to help people across England escape abuse and rebuild their lives, away from the threat of violence,” he added.
Charities such as Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid, Refuge, Latin American Women’s Aid and London Black Women’s Project will benefit from the funds. Over a third of successful applicants offer specialist services to particular groups such as BAME, LGBT and disabled victims.
Baljit Banga, executive director of BAME women’s organisation Imkaan, said she was pleased that ethnic minority women’s organisations had been successful in their bids.
“This sector adds significant social value to this country,” Banga said. “I know organisations have been struggling under the emergency of the two pandemics – Covid 19 and VAWG (Ending Violence against Women and Girls). I thank the MHCLG (Ministry of Housing and Communities) and I value the support you have provided.”
The money will also help to maintain the work that domestic abuse charities do to help survivors and their children to rebuild their lives.
Funding comes from £10m which was made available to domestic abuse charities last month to support them during the Covid-19 pandemic. Following the announcement, a second bidding round opened in order to allocate the rest of the funding.
Nicole Jacobs, designate domestic abuse commissioner, said it was “excellent news” for charities working to provide support to survivors of domestic abuse and their children during the pandemic. “I am pleased to see the success of specialist charities in securing funding, particularly those who support black and marginalised women when they need it most,” Jacobs said.
The government has also confirmed that it will bring forward legislation to give domestic abuse victims ‘priority need’ access to settled housing, ensuring they can find a home which is safe, secure and away from the threat of abuse.
Previously, the government had pledged to address domestic abuse and provided over £16m to 75 projects to help fund domestic abuse refuge services for victims and their children.
A sum of £25m has also been provided for support services for victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence in the community during the coronavirus outbreak, plus £3m to fund independent sexual violence advisers until 2022.