Help women and children live in safety

Thank you for supporting Leeds Women's Aid. Because of your generosity, women and families across Leeds and the Yorkshire and Humber region can access a range of specialist domestic violence and abuse services, including a 24/7 telephone helpline, online chat service and emergency refuge accommodation.

We're pleased to share some recent updates from across Leeds Women's Aid and Leeds Domestic Violence Service.

We are delighted to share that Leeds Domestic Violence Service (LDVS), a consortium of specialist domestic abuse organisations, Leeds Women’s Aid (lead partner), Women’s Health Matters, and Behind Closed Doors has achieved the Helplines Standard Accreditation for its 24hr domestic abuse helpline, securing the nationally recognised quality standard for the next three years.

The accreditation is carried out by Helplines Partnership to recognise the diverse challenges and issues faced by helplines and ensure they effectively meet the needs of those using helplines, including service users, workers and funders.

The assessment highlighted a number of strengths, including robust safeguarding policies and procedures, a thorough induction programme for employees and the extensive knowledge and professionalism of the helpline team. The assessor also praised the team’s supportive and non-judgemental approach and their ability to manage complex and unpredictable situations while ensuring callers receive high-quality support.

We also wanted to share an update on our recent #Leeds400 campaign. In July, we launched the campaign with the aim of raising the equivalent of 400 hours of our online live chat service. Thanks to the support of our community, we successfully reached this target.

Our online live chat provides a safe and discreet way for women to reach out for support when they may not be able to call safely. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for digital support has grown significantly, with many women telling us they do not feel safe using the phone.

The service is available Monday to Friday, 1pm to 4pm, alongside 24/7 secure messaging, and is staffed by experienced Domestic Violence and Abuse Support Workers offering tailored support in complex and often dangerous situations.

In 2025 alone, the service received almost 300 contacts, and since launching in 2020 it has supported 1,876 contacts in total.

The campaign raised the equivalent of more than 400 hours of online chat support. 400 hours of the service could provide up to 150 opportunities for women and families to access safe, specialist support when they would not otherwise feel safe to contact us by phone.

As we move into autumn, we look forward to sharing more updates on the impact of your support. Thank you for helping us continue to provide vital services to women and families across our region.

Links:

• Leeds Women's Aid website