Extra £9m to boost aid for female abuse survivors

The mayor of London has announced an additional £9m of funding to help survivors of violence against women and girls (VAWG) to recover and rebuild their lives.

The VAWG fund provides thousands of the most vulnerable victims with access to legal advice, counselling and other key services through local community organisations.

Sir Sadiq Khan said the money would be dedicated to supporting women and girls from Black, Asian and minority-ethnic communities and other underrepresented groups, including, those with No Recourse to Public Funds.

The London Assembly has called on the mayor to prevent future financial cliff edges by guaranteeing long-term funding and introducing transparent monitoring.

Southall Black Sisters, which through the London Holistic Advocacy Wrap Around Service has helped hundreds with accommodation and thousands more through specialist support, raised concern over a recent six-month funding gap "that put vital services and skilled staff at risk".

It highlighted short-term funding cycles undermine stability for front line organisations.

Assembly member Zoë Garbett said: "Many are trying to do this work while dealing with piecemeal funding that makes it incredibly difficult to plan ahead or keep services running consistently."

Sir Sadiq said: "Supporting victims and survivors to rebuild their lives and protecting them from abuse is at the heart of my work to tackle violence against women and girls and keep all Londoners safe.

"Our work with women's refuges across the capital has highlighted how too often victims and survivors are forced to return to abusive situations because of debt and financial dependence.

"A new specialised service I am funding will now help women and girls build skills and get jobs.

"A new round of my VAWG Grassroots Fund will also ensure survivors can access vital support including legal advice, counselling and other key services to help rebuild their lives."

London's victims commissioner, Andrea Simon, said access to specialist support services was "often a lifeline" for victims of violence against women and girls.

Nahar Choudhury from Solace Women's Aid, said: "Fleeing an abusive partner can be the hardest thing a woman ever does. In many cases, perpetrators use economic abuse to maintain control and limit a survivor's ability to leave. If a survivor has to flee suddenly, it can mean leaving her job, house and access to bank accounts behind.

"Solace delivers holistic support such as counselling, legal advocacy and practical guidance that empowers survivors to regain control of their finances and move towards long-term independence."

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