Help Abused Young Women get Justice in Leeds

Hello all,

We would like to say a big thank you for the support you have given our charity throughout 2019 and we hope you had a happy and restful festive period.

Over the past year, we’ve provided support for thousands of women and children experiencing domestic violence and abuse. We can only do this work because of the generosity of our supporters.

We are particularly grateful to all the groups, businesses and individuals who donated Christmas gifts for the women and children staying in our refuges to show them they are being thought of.

We will be in touch again soon, for any further news, check out our website on www.leedswomensaid.org.uk and follow us on Twitter or Facebook on @LeedsWomensAid

Looking forward to 2020

We have lots of exciting things planned for 2020 including the launch of our new Leeds Women’s Aid logo and branding which we’ve been working hard on over the past few months and are looking forward to sharing with you soon.

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we’re also going to install new play equipment and resurface the gardens at our refuge accommodation in order to create lovely gardens where the women we support can relax and their children can play.

This year also marks 5 years since our Leeds Women’s Aid charity shop opened in Horsforth. Our charity shop is a vibrant local enterprise which has helped us raise vital funds for our domestic violence support services. They sell clothing, books, homeware, toys and games and are open Monday to Saturday at 102 New Road Side, LS18 4QB. Please consider popping in to see if you can grab yourself a bargain and keep an eye out for details of our 5-year anniversary celebrations later in the year.

Thank you for your support and I’ll be in touch again soon,

Nik

Links:

• LWA Website

Hello all,

Because of the generosity of our supporters, we’re able to empower thousands of women and families every year to live in safety, free from abuse and fear. This includes supporting hundreds of vulnerable women and girls through our Independent Domestic Violence Advocates Team (IDVAs).

This month, we’d like to share an insight into the vital work our IDVAs do to support vulnerable victims and survivors of domestic violence and abuse as well as letting you know about an exciting project at one of our refuge sites.

We will be in touch again soon, for any further news, check out our website on www.leedswomensaid.org.uk and follow us on Twitter or Facebook on @LeedsWomensAid

A Day in the Life of an IDVA

Over the past year our IDVA team has supported over 350 high risk victims of domestic violence & abuse (DV & A). This support can include advice on family and criminal law, liaising with the police and supporting victims giving evidence at trial. Our IDVAs are a vital part of the Leeds Domestic Violence Service in which Leeds Women’s Aid is the lead agency. On average, each client receives 12.5 hours of specialist support from one of our IDVAs. We spoke to Audrey*, Jane*, Aisha* and Lucy* from our IDVA Team to find out about the reality of the job and how their role has changed over time.

Because of their busy and diverse caseloads, “there’s no average day”. A day could include attending the Leeds Front Door Safeguarding Hub where serious cases of DV & A in the city are discussed with a range of agencies. Jane said that “our main motivation is to give the voice of the victim” at these meetings.

The team spoke highly of their work ethic and morale: Lucy said “we all help each other and work together in the interest of the clients”. They said one of the best parts of the job is knowing you’ve been able to help someone such as when passing on vital information such as court outcomes or prison release dates gives the client peace of mind. They also mentioned how nice it is when former clients get back in touch to thank them and let them know how they’re getting on.

Despite these positives, supporting some of the most high risk people in Leeds has its challenges. Audrey described how it can sometimes be “hard to switch off” outside of work and that she often finds herself asking “Have I done enough?” to support a client. Sometimes the team hear someone’s story and then the victim decides they don’t want to take it any further. This can be concerning, but we know that it has to be the right time for each individual. Our IDVAs let clients know that when they are ready for support, they will be there to help them.

The team believe there is a greater awareness about DV & A and people are more open about the subject now than they once were: “It’s always been around but now it’s taken more seriously”.

*Names have been changed

Refuge Gardens Project

We’re raising money to install new play equipment and resurface the gardens at our refuge accommodation. We want to create lovely gardens where the women we support can relax and their children can play, to help take their minds of their traumatic experiences and make happy memories.

Due to their experiences with domestic violence and the uncertainties that lay ahead, play-based activities offer the families we support some normality in their lives and provide an outlet from the challenges faced by the children. Playing outside helps children have fun, make new friends, develop their social interaction skills and increase self confidence and self esteem.

If you can help today with a donation, large or small, to bring us closer to our overall target of £50,000, we would be very grateful.

Thank you for your support and I’ll be in touch again soon,

Nik

Hello all,

We’re raising money to install new play equipment and resurface the gardens at our refuge accommodation. We want to create lovely gardens where the women we support can relax and their children can play, to help take their minds of their traumatic experiences and make happy memories.

All of the donations we receive during the month of August will be used to help fund this outdoor playground refurbishment. As part of their Little by Little campaign, Global Giving will be match funding all donations up to $50 during the month of August so please give generously. All eligible donations made to partners with Partner or Leader status will be matched at 50%, while all partners with Superstar status will be matched at 60%.

Due to their experiences with domestic violence and the uncertainties that lay ahead, play-based activities offer the families we support some normality in their lives and provide an outlet from the challenges faced by the children. Playing outside helps children have fun, make new friends, develop their social interaction skills and increase self confidence and self esteem.

If you can help today with a donation, large or small, to bring us closer to our overall target of £50,000, we would be very grateful.

Thank you for your support and I’ll be in touch again soon,

Nik

Hello all,

We would like to start by saying a big thank you for your generosity and support! Your ongoing support is vitally important in enabling us to help thousands of women and children get the support they need every year. This month we’d like to let you know about some exciting ways you can support our charity and help us raise essential funds.

We will be in touch again soon, for any further news, check out our website on www.leedswomensaid.org.uk and follow us on Twitter or Facebook on @LeedsWomensAid

There’s still time to join the Leeds Women’s Aid Fun Run

Leeds Women’s Aid is delighted to be entering a team of staff, volunteers and supporters in the Big Fun Run, Leeds, on Sunday 14^th July at 11am in Middleton Park.

There’s still time to sign up so why not get together with friends, family or work colleagues to help raise vital funds for our domestic violence support services.

You can find out more details about how to sign up at: www.leedswomensaid.co.uk/join-the-big-fun-run/

Let us know you’ve signed up by contacting our Fundraising Team on
0113 244 2578 or fundraising@leedswomensaid.org.uk and we’ll support you every step of the way. 

Support Leeds Women’s Aid on Amazon Smile

You can now support Leeds Women’s Aid for free on Amazon Smile.

Amazon Smile allows you to raise money for your chosen charity every time you shop on Amazon at no extra cost to you.

All you need to do is, go to: smile.amazon.co.uk then type in Leeds Women’s Aid and start shopping. It would be great if you could consider supporting our charity in this way and help us raise some extra funds for our domestic violence support services.

Volunteer at our Leeds Women’s Aid Charity Shop

Our Charity Shop helps us raise vital funds to help fund our refuge and support services.

We are located at 102 New Road Side, Horsforth, LS18 4QB and we are open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 4pm on Saturdays.

As part of Volunteer Week 2019, we will be holding a special volunteer taster day at our shop on Wednesday 5th June 2019.

The drop in event, gives people interested in volunteering the opportunity to have a behind the scenes look at the shop and its daily operations and will give everyone a chance to experience key tasks such as stock merchandising, sorting of donations and serving on the till. There is no need to book a place, just pop in between 10am and 3pm.

Our taster day will also provide the perfect opportunity to learn more about the vital work of Leeds Women’s Aid, supporting women and children affected by domestic violence and how volunteers play a key role within the organisation.

For more information please contact the shop on 0113 2584111 or LWACharityShop@leedswomensaid.org.uk

Partnership with John Lewis

We are delighted to be entering the next phase of our partnership with John Lewis and Partners, Leeds in welcoming two members of their staff who will be working for us on a six month secondment funded by John Lewis Golden Jubilee Trust fund.

Thank you for your support and I’ll be in touch again soon,

Nik

Hello all,

We would like to wish you a Happy International Women’s Day and thank you for your ongoing generosity and support. We know that 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence over their lifetime so the women’s refuges and support services we provide are vital in helping keep women and children safe. Thanks to supporters like you, we’re able to help thousands of women and children get the support they need. This month we’d like to inform you about some exciting ways you can support our charity and help us raise essential funds.

Celebrating International Women’s Day

To mark International Women’s Day, we are delighted to be holding a breakfast event on Friday 8^th March with Spire Barristers where we will be discussing the draft Domestic Abuse Bill and how this could affect women and families in Leeds. The event is full but if you’d like to find out how you can find out more about the Domestic Abuse Bill then please contact us.

Join the Leeds Women’s Aid Fun Run!

On Sunday 14^th July, we’re inviting you to take part in the Big Fun Run Leeds and help us raise money for our domestic violence support services. The cost of taking part is £16.25 or £14.00 for children and concessions. You can register for the run at: https://www.bigfunrun.com/leeds/

The scenic 5k route runs through Middleton Park which is a 630 acre park of rolling parklands, beautiful lakes, ancient woods and gardens. The Big Fun Run is a fun and exciting challenge for anyone who wants to run, walk or jog while raising money for charity.

We would love for everyone running on our behalf to try and raise a minimum of £50 for our charity. All the money raised through this event will help fund our domestic violence support services. If you would like to fundraise on our behalf please contact our Fundraising Team on 0113 244 2578. We can provide you with a Leeds Women’s Aid t-shirt and give you advice about how to set up a fundraising page and collect sponsorship.

Leaving a Legacy for Leeds Women’s Aid

If you are thinking about writing a Will or amending an existing one, including a charity can be a very special way of helping good work to continue in the future. A legacy – a gift in your Will – provides you with the opportunity to help victims of domestic violence and abuse and make a long term difference. As a charity we rely on additional income to help support all the work we do. Leaving a gift in your will is a valuable source of income.

If you are considering leaving a gift in your Will, you can contact us to discuss it further on 0113 244 2578 or email alice@leedswomensaid.org.uk

Thank you for your support and I’ll be in touch again soon,

Nik