Extra government cash to help Cambridgeshire's victims of domestic abuse

More support for victims of domestic abuse will be made available across the region following two successful bids for funding.

Cambridgeshire County Council, working in partnership with Peterborough City Council, have been successful with a bid for £119,600 to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

The funding will help launch project called ‘Empowering Women Everywhere’, which is aimed at working in partnership to reduce harm to people being domestically abused and exploited in the sex industry, and improving their health and wellbeing.

As part of the initiative, a new property will be secured to house and support women on a short term basis.

Both authorities also teamed up with Westminster City Council and the national domestic abuse charity Standing Together, for a second successful bid to ensure the Whole Housing Approach project continues to operate.

The Whole Housing Approach offers survivors access to support through a mobile advocate (outreach worker) or co-located housing advocates service, which aims to support women facing multiple disadvantage, who are also facing difficulty securing safe housing due to domestic abuse.

The Whole Housing project will continue to work across three London boroughs, Stockton-on-Tees and across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, with £434K supporting local projects. It will enable us to continue to provide an outreach service to all victims of domestic abuse across the county for another year.

The projects will enable both councils to provide enhanced support to survivors of domestic abuse, in addition to each authority’s core funded offer of refuge accommodation and the Independent Domestic Violence Adviser Service, for high-risk victims of domestic abuse.

Councillor Steve Criswell, chairman of Cambridgeshire's communities & partnerships committee, said: “We are committed to providing as much support as possible for victims of domestic abuse and I’m delighted that our bids for extra funding have been successful. By working with partners, we can help improve situations for those who have suffered abuse.

“Domestic abuse comes in many different forms and happens to all types of people from very different backgrounds. We are working to ensure people know about the help and support that is available and would encourage anyone who suffers abuse to seek support.”

Over two million women and men aged between 16 and 74 experienced domestic abuse in England and Wales last year.

Domestic abuse is controlling behaviour to maintain power and control over someone. This can include emotional, sexual and financial abuse as well as physical abuse such as punching and kicking.