Bradford based domestic abuse charity secures £35,000 grant from the Lloyds TSB Foundation, funded to work with Eastern European Communities.

Eastern European Women living with domestic violence in Bradford are to get vital support to protect them and their children.  The Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales grant of £35,000 has been announced today for the Staying Put initiative which will make sure abused women are not forced out of their own home and can feel safe from further abuse.

This is an exciting new development; funded for eighteen months, aiming to identify the full extent of the issues affecting the community.  A part time worker, with the appropriate community language skills will be employed; their primary aim is to work towards engaging, empowering and sustaining Eastern European communities across the Bradford district.

Staying Put is a local domestic violence/abuse charity that helps up to 1400 women and children every year across the Bradford district.

We work to end violence against women and children, in partnership with the Bradford’s strategic Domestic Abuse Partnership (DAP) and the operational Bradford Violence Against Women’s Forum (bVAWF) we assist to achieve the objectives of the Bradford Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy (BVAWGS).
The main aim of Staying Put is to enable women and children experiencing domestic abuse in the Bradford district to remain safely in their own homes. Staying Put aims to achieve this through the provision of community domestic abuse services for women and children resident within the Bradford district.

Pat Greenwood is Lloyds TSB Foundation’s Grant Manager for Yorkshire, she says: “Staying Put is an excellent charity doing some really important work with vulnerable people. The Foundation is committed to supporting organisations like this that have a real impact on the lives of disadvantaged people.”

In 2009/10 approximately 30% of all violent crime reported to the police was domestic violence related. In Bradford 7,426 incidents of domestic violence were reported to the police, with 83% involving female victims (West Yorkshire Police data). It is anticipated that this figure will increase in 2011/12. 

Yasmin Khan Director of Staying Put says “this funding is essential and a life line for women from Eastern European communities as often they are living in isolation due to the language and cultural barriers.  This project will bridge a significant gap in service delivery for Eastern European women and their children experiencing domestic abuse”.

She goes on to say “domestic violence/abuse damages women and girls; has far-reaching consequences for families, children, communities and society as a whole locally, nationally and internationally. Domestic abuse is both a form of discrimination and a violation of human rights.  It is both a cause and consequence of gender inequality and there are connections across all forms of violence against women and girls; amongst female victims of intimate violence”.

Bradford Metropolitan District Council (BMDC) and the Primary Care Trust (PCT) as well as other key stakeholders in the domestic abuse sector support this initiative. This development will strengthen and streamline existing violence against women sector services funded by BMDC and the PCT, so that women who are vulnerable and finding the process of dealing with the difficulties of an abusive relationship frightening can gain a service from one point of contact.

To receive further information please contact Staying Put duty worker on: 01274 667104