PRESS RELEASE
Coventry domestic abuse charity awarded grant worth almost £100k from Lloyds Bank Foundation to continue vital work helping survivors access advice, support and accommodation
Coventry Haven Women’s Aid, a domestic abuse charity run by women for women, has been awarded a grant worth £93,501 from Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales.
For over 48 years, the charity, based on Marlborough Road in Coventry, has been helping women subjected to abusive relationships through a range of support services including providing advice and safe housing.
The charity provides services for free to women of all ages and backgrounds, and assists with other issues including immigration, housing, debt management, and alcohol and drug abuse and recently through a partnership arrangement, have extended their service offer to include male victims, male and female perpetrators and a children’s counselling service.
The new three-year grant from the Foundation will contribute to the running of their refuge and costs for services including counselling, advice, guidance and training with volunteers, many of whom have lived experience.
Figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales show over one-third of violent crimes recorded last financial year were flagged as being domestic abuse-related[i], and domestic abuse-related offences increased by 22 percent from the previous year to 732,444[ii]. Data obtained by the BBC[iii] also reveals the number of domestic violence killings has hit a five-year high - 173 people died in domestic violence-related homicides last year.
Coventry Haven Women’s Aid Development & Funding Officer, Jaime Richards said: “We’re committed to providing the best possible service to any woman experiencing any form of domestic violence and abuse including forced marriage, honour-based abuse and female genital mutilation.
“The women reaching out to us for help need to be believed, heard and listened to, not judged or told what they can and can’t do. They want to understand what's happening to them, be guided through their trauma and have a voice. Our organisation is two thirds survivor-led and fully understand how crucial this is.
“Every penny we receive counts and will help to make a life-changing impact. Because of this grant from Lloyds Bank Foundation, we will be able to continue to be there every step of the way for women fleeing an abusive partner or family member, supporting them to make informed choices.”
Paul Streets OBE, Chief Executive of Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales, said: “Small and local charities play a vital role in their communities, reaching and helping people facing complex social issues to overcome them and move forward with their lives.
“But with public funding getting tighter and tighter and demand for their services rising, such charities are more important than ever. That is why at Lloyds Bank Foundation we are delighted to award new funding to Coventry Haven which will enable them to help more people affected by domestic abuse in the years to come.
“We are committed to supporting small and local charities working in communities across the country, funding their work, helping them become stronger and more sustainable and helping raise their voice with policy-makers.”
Coventry Haven is one of four charities in the West Midlands supported in Lloyds Bank Foundation’s latest funding round, which awarded £388,539 across the region, tackling issues such as domestic abuse, trafficking and modern slavery. So far in 2019, the Foundation has awarded 126 new grants worth over £12.2m to charities across England and Wales to help tackle complex social issues.
ENDS
Contact Lloyds Bank Foundation Press & Communications Officer Imthiaz Rehman via 020 3988 3742 or IRehman@lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk for more information or to arrange an interview with a spokesperson from the Foundation or the charity.
Notes to editors:
About Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales
Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales partners with small and local charities who help people overcome complex social issues. During 2018, the Foundation distributed £20 million through new and existing grants, supporting more than 900 charities which helped 142,000 people experiencing disadvantage.
Through long-term funding, developmental support and influencing policy and practice, the Foundation helps those charities make life-changing impact. The Foundation is an independent charitable trust funded by the profits of Lloyds Banking Group as part of their commitment to Helping Britain Prosper.
For more information visit www.lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk
About Coventry Haven Women’s Aid
Coventry Haven Women’s Aid was established in the early seventies as a women’s group and have grown to become a small community-based, grass roots registered charity which is run by women for women.
Their aim is to help women and their children who have been or are being subjected to domestic abuse in any form to free themselves from the situation they are in.
They do this by providing safe housing and a range of support services before, during and after a survivor is leaving an abusive partner or family member. Staff and volunteers at the charity will assist women of all ages and backgrounds in need of help.
For more information, visit www.coventryhaven.co.uk.
[i] Crime data is sourced from the latest Crime Survey for England and Wales (Office of National Statistics) www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingmarch2019
[ii] Crime data is sourced from the latest Crime Survey for England and Wales (Office of National Statistics) www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingmarch2019
[iii] Domestic violence killings reach five-year high (BBC) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49459674