News

Refuge responds to Crown Prosecution Service quarterly report and news of additional funding for courts over the next year Cordelia Tucker O’Sullivan, Refuge senior policy and public affairs manager said: “Refuge welcomes the news that the limit of working days for Crown Courts has been lifted for the next financial year. The increased budget for courts over the next year is a necessary step to tackle the backlog of cases that has been exacerbated by the past year and that leaves survivors of domestic abuse in a state of limbo as they await justice. However, this funding provides only a … Continue reading →

Refuge is delighted that the Domestic Abuse Bill has today received Royal Assent and been signed into law, becoming the Domestic Abuse Act. The Act is the product of many years of work across the women’s sector and is designed to transform the response to domestic abuse. Domestic Abuse Bill signed into law, concluding many years work across the women’s sector and becoming the Domestic Abuse Act Refuge delighted by progressive provisions in the Act but disappointed by key omissions – failure to protect migrant women and amend aspects of the Universal Credit system that facilitates and exacerbates economic abuse. … Continue reading →

Refuge statement on migrant women amendment in the Domestic Abuse Bill Cordelia Tucker O’Sullivan, Refuge senior policy and public affairs manager said: ‘Last night the Domestic Abuse Bill, many years in the making, took another crucial step towards becoming law.  Refuge is delighted that the government listened to Refuge and survivors, and that the Bill will make threats to share intimate images a crime, and we look forward to the Bill becoming law later this year. However, the rejection of the amendment to protect migrant women experiencing domestic abuse is a huge disappointment. Frontline organisations, such as Refuge, Southall Black Sisters, … Continue reading →

Refuge announces New Economics Foundation (NEF) analysis of spend on its specialist services. For every £1 invested, £8.24 of social value is generated; a 100% increase in just five years In 2020, Refuge, the country’s largest provider of specialist domestic abuse services, commissioned NEF Consulting (NEF) to carry out an analysis of how much societal (i.e. social and economic) value is delivered from every £1 it spends on its services. Over the year period NEF found that for every £1 Refuge spends on services it generated an average of £8.24 of social value (this represents a near doubling of value created compared … Continue reading →

A year of lockdown: Refuge releases new figures showing dramatic increase in activity across its specialist domestic abuse services. Between April 2020 and February 2021 calls and contacts* logged on Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline (NDAH) up by average of 61% 72% of people supported by NDAH were women experiencing abuse Women supported in multiple languages by specialist staff 4,481 referrals made to secure refuges across country 11,616 safety plans created Average of seven-fold increase in visits to specialist website www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk More than 5,200 ‘live chats’ have taken place since new service launched in May 2020 Refuge, the country’s largest … Continue reading →

Refuge responds to government formally accepting Amendment 48, calling for threatening to share intimate image and films to be made a crime. Tonight, in the House of Lords, as part of the Report Stage of the Domestic Abuse Bill, the government formally accepted Amendment 48, which called for threatening to share intimate images to be made a crime. Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, Refuge Chair, said: ‘Refuge is delighted that tonight, in the House of Lords, the government formally agreed to make threatening to share intimate images a crime as part of the Domestic Abuse Bill, by accepting amendment 48, tabled by Baroness … Continue reading →

Refuge teams up with British GQ to urge men to #ChooseToChallenge domestic abuse in support of International Women’s Day 8 March 2021. Refuge, the country’s largest provider of specialist domestic abuse services has teamed up with leading men’s magazine British GQ to help drive awareness of domestic abuse to its predominantly male readership. With a print, digital and social audience reach of 10.4 million a month, GQ is in a unique position to speak to men across the country about domestic abuse, a gendered crime. Domestic abuse is a crime most often perpetrated by men, against women. It stems from gender inequality and … Continue reading →

Tracy Blackwell, Refuge head of development said: ‘The Chancellor is right to refer to domestic abuse as a ‘hidden tragedy’ but sadly this hidden tragedy is not just limited to lockdown. Women experience male violence all year round and financial support for frontline services must reflect this ongoing need, by allowing services to plan for the future and move away from the funding cliff edge many find themselves on year after year. There is still a huge gap for refuge funding – estimates say £173 million is needed but only £125 million has been committed so far. Refuge would also … Continue reading →

Victory for women who face threats to share their intimate images – as government commits to making it a crime. (Interviews available on request with Refuge spokespeople, Zara McDermott, survivor and campaigner Natasha Saunders and Baroness Nicky Morgan. Please contact the Refuge press office on 0207 395 7731 or email press@refuge.org.uk) The Naked Threat Campaign, led by Refuge, its supporters, survivors, celebrities and Baroness Morgan secures law change at first opportunity. Refuge says this is a ‘victory for women and girls and testimony to the power of campaigning together’. Baroness Morgan says ‘At the start of this campaign, I said … Continue reading →