9:39pm Monday 10th November 2008
By Tanya O'Rourke
A charity which supports women living with domestic violence in Bradford has been awarded a lottery grant of almost £350,000, it was announced today.
The Staying Put initiative offers women legal advice to help them stay in their homes and provides security measures such as panic alarms, lock changes and mobile phones.
The Big Lottery Fund grant of £348,139 will fund the charity for three years, enabling them to help women who have suffered at the hands of a violent partner to feel safe from abuse. Police were called to 8,500 domestic abuse incidents in 2007 and there were five domestic-related killings.
The manager of Staying Put, Yasmin Khan, said: “Our values are based on a belief in the fundamental human right of women and children to live their lives free from fear, violence and abuse with choices and access to equality of opportunity at every level in their lives.
“With increased capacity we will be able to empower the women we work with to live independently, leading healthier and more active lives free from fear or abuse.”
She said that over the past year the service had worked with more than 1,000 people. Work it had done included enabling children to remain in the home, without the upheaval of moving schools, and protecting women through solutions such as improving security, removing the perpetrator and referring them to rehabilitation programmes.
Caroline James, Big Lottery Fund head of region for Yorkshire and The Humber, said: “By funding this project the Big Lottery Fund is reaching out to some of the most vulnerable people living in the Bradford area.
“Helping women and children affected by domestic violence to remain in the comfort and familiarity of the family home has a massive impact on their mental health, well being and security.”
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