Women's refuge saved after urgent funding appeal

A women's refuge has been saved from closure after tens of thousands of pounds were raised.

Staff and volunteers at the Salisbury Women's Refuge in Wiltshire help survivors of domestic abuse rebuild their lives and gain the confidence to rejoin society.

A fundraiser was launched in December when the charity said its future was at risk due to a lack of dedicated domestic abuse funding. The £20,000 target has been reached in less than a month.

"Thank you all from the bottom of our heart," the refuge said in a post on social media. "Your response to our situation has been phenomenal."

The refuge successfully operated without any dedicated domestic abuse funding for three years, running off only the basic housing benefit as a landlord.

But it said financial issues piled up and it became clear urgent support was needed.

Caroline Probert, chair of trustees at the refuge, previously told the BBC: "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."

The refuge has been running for 150 years and began life as an orphanage. Today, it provides secure accommodation for up to 12 women or families at a time from across the UK. In recent years, it has operated at about 90% average occupancy.

As well as victims of domestic abuse, the refuge also supports people who have been victim of honour-based violence, female genital mutilation, and forced marriage.

Probert said: "Everyone is delighted at the outcome and ready to start the new year refreshed and re-enthused.

"Our residents know that their place in our refuge is secure for the next few months and that stability is very helpful when trying to build a new independent life."

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