Posie putting her money where her mouth is. Lets do this.

[Fallingirl]

Posie is planning to re-build the women’s sector, starting with crowd funding for a women-only refuge.

Why not a cafe?

Seriously?!?

Are we really being told who we should spend our money on?

Yes. When we help fund cases like Allison and keira men on twitter slate us, and say things like 'how many DV spaces would that fund'.

So we talk about funding a new DV shelter and we are told by women that's wrong too.

I think that is part of the problem, women are just so tired of being told how to spend our own money, its not the 1950s we don't need permission anymore.

I have donated £20 now on the plan as it is. I truat that PP, as she has said, will channel our money to an existing single-sex shelter, if this plan is unworkable.

I did not donate to start a café, and it would be very odd if PP channelled the money she has already raised to such a destination.

But if anyone here wants to launch a café, that's their prerogative. But not with someone else's time or money without their consent.

It's tragic that amongst all this back and forth there is a woman on this very thread who has nowhere to go, and is staying in an appalling situation because of that.

This woman has tried and tried to gain access to a shelter that would meet her needs and cannot yet all the criticism is levelled at Posie and we are being told repeatedly that the current providers know best.

If what Posie is doing brings this to public attention and focus and enough noise is made about the woeful state of services and the lack of single sex refuges that are single sex and highlights the reasons why refuges have been coerced into accepting males and stopped advocating and supporting the users they were set up to help it can only be beneficial to the whole of the sector whether or not Posie succeeds in her attempt to provide a women only shelter.

Politicians are currently doing the hand wringing about VAWG, the lack of single sex refuge provision for women fleeing DV directly feeds into this, it is an apt time to bring this to wider attention.

No women should be left in the position nosadeguardingadults is in. For you nosafeguardingadults, I am truly sorry you have been so let down.

nosafeguardingadults I am so sorry to hear that.

You know, it really does come across as bogglingly arrogant to dismiss people on this thread as knowing very little about the sector when there are also posts like this.

I do get why longstanding workers in the sector might be feeling aggrieved, I really do. I just hope there will be recognition that, if Posie manages to focus attention on this fuckwitted state of affairs, while at the same time drawing most of the flak upon herself, then she could potentially be doing everyone a huge favour.

But it will need some shrewd heads to prevail. There has been much talk of Posie's ego and maybe some of that's true but, if parts of this thread are anything to go by, she's not the only one.

Also, if there ARE still single sex refuges, why don't women know about them? I have been following this issue for 5 years and it was absolutely my understanding that males now were allowed in, with the exception of the Karen lngala Smith runs. If that's not the case, then the people running them need to get the message out better as I have been quite clear that I would have nowhere to go if I was in need of a women's refuge. Start getting the message out, rather scolding women for not behaving correctly. Maybe if that was more clear, Posie would not be taking the action she is now.

So what's the reality? Anyone know?

@nosafeguardingadults

Even if not appropriate for Posie money to be for a refuge, still needed for safe single sex places after refuge.

As I understand it a huge problem is what's called the 'exempt accommodation' sector - where landlords are not bound by the normal housing benefit/UC limits if they are providing a nominal level of 'support' - it's a massive cash cow and very poorly regulated.

One of the well documented problems is inappropriate referrals so you get women leaving refuges housed with men leaving prisons, people with drug and alcohol problems etc.

www.commonwealhousing.org.uk/unregulated-exempt-accommodation

soundcloud.com/insidehousing/exempt-accommodation

That podcast said there are examples of exempt accommodation being done well though, and the fact that there is 'support' means that someone could theoretically set one up and use the single sex exceptions that are available for service providers.

To be clear, I'm suggesting this AS WELL AS what Posie is aiming to do, not instead of.

Are PP supporters not embarrassed, even a tiny bit, that she says abuse victims have brought it on themselves? That they didn't listen to their intuition? That they allowed themselves to be abused?

Feel free to give all your money to someone who sneers at abused women. I admire your faith. I personally think it's a bit odd.

I don’t see mysejf as supporting posie with this, I’m supporting what she’s trying to do

It’s like on the Arlene foster thread. I think she’s an utter dinosaur with appalling political views - but as far as the issue with C.J. is concerned, she has all my support

I'm imagining the uproar on here if a TRA said half the things Posie has said.

Why not a cafe?

Are you not embarrassed, even a tiny bit?

You should look into what Erin Pizzey has said lately.

I think that's an odd way to frame an argument.

I think that shining a light on the lamentable state of affairs in the women's sector is a good move.

I don't think leaving it to the experts has worked very well.

I do think it's a shame that the move hasn't come from anyone inside the sector, but I also understand the reasons why.

I think that if Posie Parker is going to raise this kind of money she will need to come up with some further details pretty quickly (and have already said so).

I don't think likening Posie Parker to Katie Hopkins is a class move.

Does that make me a supporter?

What's embarrassing about a cafe? I'd love a decent women's cafe to go to.

There are many complex, sensitive issues around women's refuges which have been raised in this thread. Posie Parker seems much more suited to running a cafe.

Posie isn't... going to be running the refuge. She never said she was, and she has clarified that she won't be now. Is this really the issue? She's using her platform to raise money for one.

She won't be running a café either. (When would she have the time?)

But if you think there is a niche for a women's only café, and the legislation permits such a thing, then by all means, start a fund?

Maybe you should stop imagining PP in various scenarios. Its getting weird.

Have you got any IDEA of the bureaucracy involved in setting up and running a café??!

@SapphosRock

I'm imagining the uproar on here if a TRA said half the things Posie has said.

I think if a TRA said half the things Posie has said they would be condemned by other TRAs and sent mountains of abusive emails and death threats. Unless they were a man of course.

Are you suggesting that some TRAs now agree qith Posie?

Posie Parker seems much more suited to running a cafe.

Yes ladies let's take our lady brains away from all this complicated fighting for the rights of women and girls and all go and run a nice cafe instead.

@TinselAngel running a cafe successfully is complicated.

Or a nice little shop? Women like running nice little shops.

Ffs.

Or selling Avon.

What's embarrassing about a cafe? I'd love a decent women's cafe to go to.

Set one up then. Don't try to dictate and change where our donations are going. So bloody transparent.