Domestic violence services at risk of closure

Support services for victims of domestic abuse have said they are worried about their future as they battle for grant funding to keep operating.

The Lotus drop-in service in Barnsley, run by the charity Resolute Women's Centre, could close later this month if it does not raise £20,000.

Vida, a domestic and sexual abuse charity in Sheffield, closed in August after 30 years because a funding crisis left it without "sustainable long-term support".

Despite government investment in tackling violence against women and girls, local charities have argued that the grant system favours larger organisations.

Deborah Jones set up the Lotus support group in 2021 and said the centre acted as a "haven and a listening ear" for women experiencing domestic abuse.

"It's a massive crisis we're facing, and we're tyring our hardest to keep open. Charities and other organisations are going for the same funding pots, and there just isn't enough out there to meet the need."

Jones said that larger organisations had more resources to compile their bids for government funding, giving them advantages over smaller services like Resolute Women's Centre that carry out work "on the ground".

Lisa, a regular attendee at the drop-in sessions, was a victim of domestic violence for three years.

"Everything you need support with, Debbie's done, and the girls from Lotus."

She was given counselling and practical support to navigate the courts process.

"If it wasn't for Resolute I wouldn't be here."

Her abuser was sentenced to 13 months in prison for actual bodily harm and property damage. Lisa was granted a three-year restraining order against her former partner.

Vida's leadership also blamed the funding system for its closure in Sheffield, and the sector has given warnings about its reliance on grant awards which may not be renewed.

The charity, which needed about £250,000 a year to operate, had sought a fresh source of income after failing to win a new National Lottery grant following an award last year.

Sheffield City Council had previously been asked to fund the charity's work, but the authority said it could not do so, though resources to support women were invested in a range of organisations.

In general, domestic violence support groups are funded through a combination of different statutory and non-statutory sources, including central government, Police and Crime Commissioners, local authorities, as well as charitable trust and grant-giving organisations. Many make appeals for public donations.

Victims in Sheffield now turn to Ashiana, an established charity which works with women from ethnic minority backgrounds fleeing domestic and sexual abuse, including refugees.

Its chair and chief officer, Daljit Kaur, said: "We are continuously in a battle and an uphill struggle to secure funding. We're inundated with clients, with 50 on our waiting list."

The charity's work covers cases of forced marriage, human trafficking, female genital mutilation, gang violence and honour-based violence.

Kaur said the closure of Vida had meant an increase in demand for Ashiana.

"It's a huge gap in terms of service delivery for projects like ours, that don't have the resources to sustain what's needed. We've eaten into a significant amount of reserves just to keep the service going."

The worst case scenario, said Kaur, was that more redundancies could follow ones already made in senior roles, and reserves could run out before the end of this year, forcing the organisation to close.

"If that happens, from an equalities and a BAME communities point of view, that is a huge gap, there are going to be hundreds of women suffering in silence that have nowhere to go for support."

A government spokesperson said: "Violence against women and girls is an epidemic that this government is determined to halve within a decade.

"We know domestic abuse devastates lives, which is why we're investing more than £550m in victim support including therapeutic services, putting specialists in 999 call centres and strengthening protections for survivors."

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