REFUGE AT SERIOUS RISK OF CLOSING because of Tory cuts

[Memoo]

They are already having to turn women away and now they might have to shut their doors completely as early as the summer because of huge cuts in funding.

The CEO is quoted in The Guardian saying in nearly 3 decades she has never been as worried as she is now.

I'm desperate to do something to help but don't know where to begin.

Please, we can't let this happen. I think we need to make as much noise about this as possible.

Bump

That is awful. Is there a campaign on this?

It's unbearable to think that women who have finally summoned up the courage to take their children and leave abusive dangerous men, are turned away from refuges and left to fend for themselves. And yet the govt is spending money on a scheme where you can look up a new boyfriend and see if he's been done for abuse in the past. Even the refuges are saying that's a ridiculous use of limited funds. most abusive men don't get prosecuted

this makes depressing reading and this is how we can help

Thanks for the message, OP. I've just followed tall's link and donated.

They were there for me when I needed them.

Thanks for the links Tall. Struggling to do them at the mo as on my phone and in and out if school all day.

Not that we shouldn't donate temporarily, but that does turn it into a charity not a right to state provision. We don't donate to keep the Army going, do we? But battered women are obv. less important than deficit reduction to this govt. Join anti-cuts groups coalitionofresistance anticutsprotests etc In local elections in May, ask candidates what their policies on this are

(bump)

You spelled cunts wrong. HTH.

@ Hedley

The tory party - putting the 'n' into cuts

:o

Am so stealing that for Facebook, Norma.

Slightly OT but I'm wondering why the Women's Aid website says they are not recruiting for volunteers at the moment, when I keep reading on here that they are ridiculously busy and women in trouble are struggling to get through to them on the phone?

I know from experience (in other orgs) that you need to have a certain amount of staff capacity to deal with volunteers, wrongbow. It takes time to go through applications, do the induction and training, and provide supervision. Volunteers may be very capable and have great intentions, but you can't just unleash them to do their own thing without being supervision.

Bump

There's a petition running here

If you want to donate to Refuge (please note, donating to Women's Aid doesn't help Refuge; they're two seperate charities) then you can make a one off donation here or set up a direct debit here

I'm also considering doing a fundraising event for Refuge some point soon. If anyone has suggestions, please let me know. Am still hoping that Mumsnet HQ comment on the situation, with support for Refuge