Reaching out to assist women in need

The WMN and its sister websites have teamed up to help raise money for charities supporting those hardest hit by the Covid-19 lockdown. Sam Beamish reports

WE’RE ready to hear, listen and believe at the Women’s Centre”. The Women’s Centre Cornwall is a specialist provider of services for women and girls who have experienced any form of abuse, whether that is sexual or domestic.

It is run by women, for women. They provide a safe, supportive environment in which women are both valued and respected, listened to and believed, empowering them to live the lives they want.

The Women’s Centre Cornwall is the latest organisation to feature as part of our Lockdown SOS Appeal.

Bec Bayliss is the community development coordinator at the Women’s Centre Cornwall. She said: “I only have a job because violence against women and girls still exists”.

Since the start of the pandemic, domestic abuse has been on the rise nationwide. Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall, wrote in September: “Deeply troubling statistics have shown the sharp rise in domestic violence since March, 2020. It is thought that, globally, cases have escalated by 20%. In the UK, more than a third of specialist services have reported an increase in requests for their support.”

Cornwall Community Foundation (CCF) has been supporting the Women’s Centre to carry on its vital work to support victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence. Bec said: “CCF have been a friend and ally of the Women’s Centre for a number of years, and this year with the Covid lockdown they’ve helped support us again. Generally speaking, they have supported us with funding – that’s emergency financial support for women and their children. It’s a bespoke pot of money.

“An emergency to one person and what their priority is can be different to someone else. We’ve used that money to enable women to flee abusive situations.”

Bec said that, for women who flee domestic abuse and coercive control, it can be a “very challenging time”. She added: “One of the biggest pressures is money – one of the big elements of domestic abuse is that finances are often monitored and controlled.

“We’ve worked with women who have had to provide receipts for what they’ve bought, they’ve had to beg for money for essentials for themselves and their children. So when money is regulated and monitored in that level of detail. it’s not at all easy to leave because it takes money to leave – so CCF has helped provide women with emergency funding for provisions for food, transport to get away and for nappies for children. “CCF has really helped to keep women and their children fed, safe, and to escape to emergency accommodation. at in itself is quite a big piece of work, getting details changed, transitioning on to benefits. During that time ,women are often left with no financial support.”

So far, CCF has helped the Women’s Centre by providing a £980 grant from its emergency fund, which has been used to buy essential equipment, phones and iPads. Some of that money has also been used to support the Women’s Centre’s helpline, email, text and social media operations.

In addition, the Women’s Centre holds crisis funds to help women who have emergency financial needs – currently they are helping 190 participants, with over 70 women waiting for support. They have also been given a grant of £2,000 from CCF’s Bude Area Fund to support their work in the town.

Discussing the funding for tablets and phones, Bec said: “Not everyone has that kit and equipment. We still want women to know we’re contactable, so CCF has allowed us to do that and purchase tablets to meet with women in confidential virtual spaces. We’re very grateful for their support so we can reach as a many people as possible.”

Bec added: “Because of the nature of domestic abuse, perpetrators will often try and find women after they’ve left. We’re not a refuge provider, we’re a support service, so we provide emotional support and a wide range of projects.

“We have a helpline that has been extended during lockdown hours because we’re mindful a lot of support has changed to telephone or online support, so we’ve extended those helpline hours.”

Bec said the Women’s Centre is largely about giving victims of abuse options. She added: “For some women, they might never feel ready to talk, but, for an awful lot of women, having a safe space, having a Women’s Centre to explore some of that and not be judged, can be transformative. We’re ready to hear, listen and believe at the Women’s Centre. So much about violence and abuse is feeling shame and guilt, asking yourself what you could have done differently, but we work to flip that around.”

The Women’s Centre’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Helpline and Domestic Abuse Helpline can be contacted by calling 01208 77099.