Funding crisis hits 150-year-old women's refuge

A women's refuge charity, which has operated for 150 years, has made an appeal for donations as it faces closure.

Salisbury Women's Refuge in Wiltshire provides a lifeline for women and children escaping domestic abuse from locations across the UK.

It has operated without dedicated domestic abuse funding for the past three years, receiving just basic housing benefit as a landlord, and now faces closure due to these funding issues.

Caroline Probert, chair of trustees at the refuge, said: "We've reached a point where we have to do something dramatic. Financially, things are really quite tight and the support we offer to women needs to be stable."

Salisbury Women's Refuge provides secure accommodation for up to 12 women or families at a time and is staffed by a team of eight who are supported by volunteers.

One-to-one guidance, counselling, therapy and issue help with court proceedings and housing issues are all offered to women at the facility.

"We have women from quite a range of backgrounds," Ms Probert continued. "The majority are in the younger age group, but this isn't exclusive. They come with fairly minimal possessions, often just what they can carry.

"Women who come to a refuge can self-refer, but also can be referred to by organisations such as the police, social services or housing departments.

"Sometimes they have left situations which are really quite dire or even life-threatening. It can all feel quite raw. We help women get back to feeling normal and that they can participate in society."

The refuge also supports people who have been victim of honour-based violence, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and forced marriage.

The Salisbury Women's Refuge hoped to raise £20,000 to continue its support in the coming months.

Ms Probert added: "The response so far has been astounding, I know we're rock solid for at least the next month or two. That's reassuring for the women we support, but also our staff."

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