To think this has to be one of the most effects of the cuts

[Memoo]

Refuge are in serious danger of closing because of funding cuts. Women are already being turned away and they could completely close their doors by the summer if they can't raise funds.

What the hell is going on when our government turns its back on abused women and children?

Their CEO is quoted in the guardian as saying this is the most worried she has been in 30 years!

LA seem to work on the assumption they people can stay with families which just isn't the case.

Funding for most refuges comes from Supporting People which is LA controlled. This money is not ring fenced and in some areas had been 'raided' because of other cuts.

The tender for funding for our county now doesn't even specify refuge spaces, it's all about community based approaches. Plus the IDVA service (which helps those most at serious risk) cannot keep up with demand. I imagine this is similar in many counties.

As i said before we are fighting to keep just half of our refuge spaces. It's

One hope is that the community based approaches do raise awareness of DV and ensure it doesn't become a forgotten issue. I think a lot of them have an important place - just alongside the refuges.

Just keeping this bumped

This has me in tears.

So many things being cut with the excuse that there is no money.

So many things being deemed unimportant by the coalition, just because they cannot imagine themselves being in a position to need them.

The stupid simplistic idea that somehow people can get out of what ever trouble they're in by just working hard.

It boggles my mind.

Many years ago my friend had to use a refuge to escape her boyfriend who was a heroin addict, she didn't enjoy it (bunkbeds when 8 months pregnant), but she did need it. She could not go home to her Mum .

Life is so simple I suppose, if you can always go home to your parents and be bailed out and cared for, not everyone can.

Married - i would never have run to my parents or family because it would have put them at risk. When you have a 6ft 2 bloke kicking in a door the last thing you want is your elderly parents or your sisters children terrified because you have dragged your mess to their front door

Refuges are a vital route for women to escape and for this government to turn its back on all of these women and children suffering shows their total lack of compassion.

Thank goodness your friend was able to get out with your help.

Married I wouldn't have family to go to.

1. My mum wouldn't be interested (I know this from RL experience); 2) my dad and his wife wouldn't be interested (again, I know this from RL experience); 3) I wouldn't burden my brother, his wife and their soon-to-be-born baby; 4) DH's family would understandably side with him; 5) I'd be too ashamed to land on a friend's doorstep - that's probably wrong but points 1 and 2 have informed that feeling.

There is no one else.

I would need a refuge.

Funding for DV services is being cut by every local authority because they have been asked to make savings by the condem government and DV is not a statutory provision.

Most of the organisations running refuges and outreach services for men and women are tiny charities that run on a shoestring, propped up by volunteers and doing the best that they can with what little they have available.

Our local service once covered a huge part of the county and since funding has been cut they have had to cut their staff team by more than half and the areas they cover has reduced by 80%. That has left large parts of a very rural county with no local access to DV services, even when their previous provision was one afternoon a fortnight at the local children's centre.

Please, if you are looking to donate money, consider donating it to your local DV service rather than one of the national charities. Your local service will be able to do so much more with your £2 a month than a national charity can and it will make such a difference to them. Your local service may also be willing to accept physical donations too, such as new toiletries and cleaning products. Things like this are useful for the people supported and can make a difference for little effort.

Ok ladies (and any men reading and posting too, because this isn't just an issue for us girls as we know) we need to take action.

We need a MN led campaign to raise awareness, could we work with Refuge to do a big publicity thing-get them in for a webchat on how we can help, try and do a massive massive push on asking MNers to donate what they can (anything, at all-if you can give up your morning coffee at the station for a month and donate that £30 that'd be fantastic, if you can only spare £1 thats also fantastic)

We should do some fundraising events-girls nights in at a MNers house/local pub, where you pay £5 for your ticket?

As part of the campaign we need to be using stories such as backpack's (but anonymised, maybe odd details changed so no one knows who the person is-nevertheless we need to be showing how people have been helped, and also how they have been failed because there was no space)

Shall we use this thread to all throw ideas in, no matter how small, and see where we can start?

(I am a local organiser for a Union, therefore am used to campaigning against the cuts, hence my rather excited 'ooh I know what to do' post, sorry!)

Oh and if some people were willing to be a co-ordinater for their area too, we could phone all of the local refuges and ask what they are needing-clothes, toys, etc-and post on here. Then one person or a few in each area could be drop off points for us all to take these things to, to be passed to each refuge. It may be that by being a bit organised we can all get clothes from our wardrobes that quite honestly we'll never wear again (I know I have loads, in various sizes!) and they could be given to the refuge for the next lady who leaves her abusive partner with just the clothes on her back.

Narked Puffin raised the cuts in legal aid and DV support with Nick Hurd MP on yesterdays webchat. Will be interesting to see his answer if he ever bothers to respond .

Can I third the suggestion to support your local refuge? Mine will take toiletries, toys, clothing, so many women and children leave everything behind when they go. As said they can make the money go further plus it could be your neighbours, parents of your childrens friends, your librarian that you are helping.

Keeping this bumped for any and all ideas.

Refuges to be closed down Nationwide.
(bump)

Another point to answer the poster who asked why abused women can't go to family - if they are in a different country, you can't go. You can face legal problems if you take your dcs across an international border without their father's consent.

Also, being in a refuge helps to "deprogramme" you - they understand the way that abusive men have trained you. If I'd gone home and had my parents criticizing H, my pride would have made me defend him and I can easily picture how I might have gone back. If I'd gone into a hotel, loneliness and doubt that I was doing the right thing would have had the same effect. But in the refuge, they helped me to get my head straight at a really crucial time. And knowing that you're not the only one - that other women you like and respect have had similar experiences - it all helped too.

In the Local govt elections in May, ask candidates for their policies. Don't hold your breath - they will all cut, inc Greens. The only one I've seen with 'no cuts' policy is TUSC. (I'm a member so please overlook bias) but there may be more. Meanwhile, join anti-cuts groups and ask Women's Aid to send info/speakers

OK point taken - thank you.

Is some of the problem that schools, through pshe, are too slow to start embedding the truth into girls (or boys) that dv is wrong, unacceptable and to point out some of the potential danger signals for young women because some girls might see it at home and the schools don't want to say what might be going on at home is wrong. Just wondering because when I was governor of a large London comp the deputy head didn't want pshe to include the fact that drugs (cannabis) were illegal (was many years ago) because it was the cultural norm for many families. The same deputy head also didn't want to point out that under age sex was wrong because some of the children had mothers who were under 16 when their eldest dc were born. Just wondering if the problems need to be tackled from both ends, ie, before dv/abuse is allowed to start and to ensure women have somewhere safe when it has taken root.

I don't think schools are the issue particularly?

Oh yeah, that's right. It's the schools fault because they won't say underage sex is wrong. .

How utterly irrelevant can you get?

This is disgusting.

Why is this not a huge story in the news?
Why are more people not outraged?
What can we do about it?

Apple-lobby your tory MP, but please mention the cuts in perpetrator work and childrens support groups, also.

The NSPCC, No excuses campaign has had to go, this is returning to being statutory provided, but not on the same scale.

Discussed this with friend who works with vulnerable women. She said funding is diverted towards education now instead of agencies working with those most in need - dv victims. Bumping.

The tories really couldn't give a damn about vulnerable women and children. Even victims of DV will have to pay a monthly fee for using the CSA.

Will look into the Refuge info.

Actually married has a point about the need to educate young women. The nspcc did some research and there is a growing trend towards dv and abuse amongst young people in relationships because young women are unsure as to what healthy relationships are and what behaviour is acceptable. In many areas the majority of referrals to IDVA services are your women. Phse education does need to address abuse and what young girls believe to be acceptable (sexual bullying etc.). Not just abstinence - but setting your own boundaries and having the confidence to walk away if others don't respect them.

These things are important - particularly because the research shows that relationship abuse is starting at such young ages now. There has to be more education. Just not at the expense of refuges.

Arrived is also right about certain women being more vulnerable to abuse - history of neglect / abuse / dv at home, young women in care, first relationships being with an older man.

We know from MN that sometimes this shit happens in cycles. Some people are more vulnerable and if we help these young women before their first relationship who knows ...

Feck. Married not arrived!