Coventry council supports campaigns against domestic abuse, “but this is not enough”
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Coventry City Council is supporting a number of actions across the city to address domestic abuse. However, the Development and Funding Officer for Coventry Haven Women’s Aid says: “These actions do help to raise awareness, but we need sustainable long-term funding to continue. There is nowhere near enough.”
16 Days of Actions, the display of a Red Chair in a public place or The Coventry City Football Club who shines a light on the campaign during a game, these are all recent actions the local council supports and finds important. “Addressing domestic violence is a key priority for Coventry City Council. We know that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men will have some experience of domestic violence in their lifetime. We are keen to continue supporting those that are affected and those that want to change their behaviour as well,” said Julie Nugent, Chief Executive at Coventry City Council.
Cllr Pervez Akhtar, Deputy Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities says that the annual cost of domestic abuse is estimated around £35m collectively for Coventry. He said: “The pandemic has made already challenging times, extra difficult for those living domestic abuse and we will continue to work with partner agencies to manage and address domestic abuse in a sensitive and supportive way.”
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But Jaime Richards, Development and Funding Officer for Coventry Haven Women’s Aid, feels like all the previous is not enough: “Actions do help to raise awareness, but we always need more, especially more funding. Due to the amount of money that Domestic Abuse costs the public purse, the sector feels it should be a government priority to fund specialist services such as ours.”
She emphasises they lack funding all though she feels like their organisation is immensely valuable as they provide so much for the city: “The added value we give to the local authorities is immense. We provide training to them and the other agencies, Health, Education and Police, FGM and Forced Marriage projects, Champion projects, volunteering opportunities, student placements, refuge spaces, out of hours support, DA programmes for professionals and survivors, wellbeing groups, as well as a food bank for our service users. We offer toiletries and clothing on a daily basis.”
““There is just nowhere near enough. We work with other specialist organisations in the city, but we often have to compete against each other for the same pots of money.””
Richards feels like the current funding from the council does not represent their work and says it is difficult to get more due to the fact that foundations and grant makers want new and shiny projects. She says this is an unfortune development since their confidential refuge accommodation provides lifesaving and life changing support, that goes way above and beyond temporary accommodation. And when there is funding, they need to compete: “There is just nowhere near enough. We work with other specialist organisations in the city, but we often have to compete against each other for the same pots of money.”
“We have services that are funded from our owns sources including our own reserves; we support survivors with No Recourse to Public Funds, and our refuge support work, which makes refuge true refuge. This is all not funded by the local authorities,” Richards says. And once more, the increased cost of living is an influence that can’t be ignored: “The cost of living crisis is incredibly hard when we were still reeling from Covid, and the huge pressures that gave to our survivors trapped at home with their abusers.”