Refuge are at serious risk of closing down. HQ is there anything we can do to help them?

[Memoo]

The CEO of Refuge has said in The Guardian that they are at serious risk of having to shut their doors permently because of cuts to funding. They are already turning women away and now they might close as early as the summer She said she is the most worried she has been in 30 years!!

We can't allow this to happen. What the hell will happen to abused women and children!?

Could we as a site do something to help? Or at least could you give us some ideas hq??

I wonder if a Q&A or web chat with the CEO might be possible.

Excellent idea!

I don't know. I seriously hope there is. There's a petition running on this link, but isn't due to close until next year, so we need more immediate action. :( This is just horrible.

Have signed the petition frothy - and bumping for you.
Great cause, something MN should take up.

Thanks for that frothy.

If we could get the CEO on to do a Q&A that would just be amazing.

We need lots of people to get behind this. The more noise we make the better.

At the moment, I'm making as much as a noise as possible... (I think if my FB friends hear the words "petition" or "sign" again, they'll scream...

Will be doing a blog post tomorrow, and asking people on Tumblr to sign the petition. Also considering trying to organise a fundraising event. Not willing to sit by and see this happen.

I think a good reason to do a Q&A or web chat is so that the CEO and MNetters can determine where exactly is the correct and appropriate place for (timely) lobbying and donations.

Frothy, have you posted your petition link elsewhere on MN?

LineRunner, StarsAndBoulevards posted it in AIBU, but it got deleted...

It's also currently on the thread about Refuge in Feminism and Women's Rights. If anyone would be willing to post it on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, ANYWHERE, it'd be much appreciated.

Realises a name change is now in order

I'm stunned that it was deleted.

Btw I'll post it on fb and twitter.

Memoo, I was too, but it was something to do with site rules and people not appreciating petitions for every cause that came up...

I can see that MN might prefer to have links to petitions or campaigns embedded within a thread that clearly interests posters, rather than having a petition link being the whole point of an OP.

That being said, with MN launching the 'We Believe You' campaign, it would be a fantastic MNHQ response to do something special for Refuge which has done so much for so many women and children at times of crisis, often when no-one else believed the extent of the abuse from which they were escaping.

That's why I think a Q&A or web chat with the CEO would be productive.

Happy to sign the petition, anyway. Thanks.

signed

and yes, agree with OP. In fact when I heard this on the news tother day, thought "now THAT'S one for mumsnet"

Very disappointed that there is still no comment from HQ :(

I think MNHQ are very busy at the moment; but when you think what they are busy with (for example, cleaning up after the trouble orchestrated by misogynists on the FWR board), then I gues you could argue that it's even more important for MN to provide its users with an informed and constructive means of supporting Refuge.

I do admire MN and I think it is an effective platform for many women to debate these matters and to be heard.

A Q&A would be good, if there's any way of that being setup.

I think the Q&A is a great idea.

Have you seen the Independent today?

Here

Hi thanks for this suggestion and apologies for the delayed response - bit snowed under.
We will definitely ask Refuge if they'd like to come on for a webchat to talk about their predicament.

Justine, thanks for that. Much appreciated.

That would be great.

Thank you, Justine! :) Please keep us posted.

Hello

Just to let you know that we've been in touch with Refuge, who're going to have a think about best timings and get back to us.

Thanks again for letting us know about this.

MNHQ x