£2.8M for projects to support domestic abuse survivors across North West 

Domestic abuse survivors will be supported to rebuild their lives thanks to the allocation of £2.8m for seven projects across the North West, Housing Minister Heather Wheeler MP has announced.

The money will provide new beds in refuges and other safe accommodation, access to education, and tailored employment and life skills guidance as survivors move towards building a safe and healthy future for themselves and their children – free from domestic abuse. 

Projects will be delivered by North West councils working alongside local organisations to help ensure that no survivor of domestic abuse is turned away from the support they need to start their new life.

Housing Minister Heather Wheeler MP said: “Those who have survived domestic abuse will have had their lives, and the lives of their families, shattered. It is our duty to ensure survivors can seek help by providing the support they need to restart their lives. 

“Through providing specialist accommodation and access to employment, this fund will make sure North West councils and charities can provide a strong safety net for anyone facing the threat of abuse in their own home.”

Sandra Horley CBE, Chief Executive of Refuge said: “That Refuge services will be supported by this fund is hugely welcome news both for us and particularly for the thousands of women and children we support on a daily basis.

“Critically, this funding ensures that many of our refuges will remain open and continue to provide life-saving specialist support to those experiencing domestic abuse. A small number would have been forced to close had we not received these crucial funds.

“We are equally delighted to be in a position to now expand one of our services in London, which provides essential support for survivors with additional needs."

In the summer, the Government announced almost £19m of funding to expand support for survivors of domestic abuse services across England. This fund has now been extended to £22m.

This follows previous government funding totalling £20m during 2016-2018, which helped create more than 2,000 bed spaces and gave support to over 19,000 survivors and their families.   

Further to this, the government has also published new guidance for councils to prioritise domestic abuse survivors in refuges when allocating social housing and encourages councils to use existing powers to support survivors to remain safely in their own homes if they choose to do so.

The government will shortly be introducing a new landmark Domestic Abuse Bill to protect and support survivors, recognise the life-long impact domestic abuse has on children and make sure agencies are effectively respond to domestic abuse.