More than £650k secured to support victims of domestic and abuse and sexual crimes in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has secured an additional £659,746 for 2022/23 from the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to provide enhanced levels of support to victims of domestic abuse and sexual crimes.

The money has been awarded to four different specialist provider services across the two counties which will recruit expert, trauma-informed support workers to help survivors of these devastating crimes rebuild their lives.

Some of the providers will specifically focus on providing support to children who are victims of domestic abuse in order to limit the impact of adverse childhood experiences.

• Stop Domestic Abuse has been awarded £348,582 and provides services to victims in Portsmouth, Basingstoke, East Hampshire, Havant, New Forest, Test Valley, Southampton and Winchester areas.
• Yellow Door, an independent rape crisis charity based in Southampton has been awarded £134,669.
• The YOU Trust, covering the Isle of Wight East Hants, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport Havant and the New Forest has been awarded £122,500
• Family Action has been awarded £53,995 and will provide services in East Hants, Fareham, Gosport, Havant and Portsmouth.

Terry Norton, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight said: “It is vitally important for victims of domestic abuse, rape and sexual assault to have access to bespoke counselling and therapeutic services to help them recover from the trauma they have experienced.

“Domestic abuse, rape, or sexual offences have long lasting effects on people. The trauma of those incidents don’t just happen in the moment, they can have debilitating effects on people’s lives long after the crime is over.

“These crimes also affect children. Young people who experience abuse or witness domestic violence are more likely to have issues when they are adults which is why intervention and investment at this young age is equally important.

“I am really pleased we have been able to secure funding to help those who have survived these crimes to rebuild their lives.”

Nicci King CEO at Yellow Door said: “We are delighted to have received additional longer term funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner to help us meet an increase in demand for services. The funding will enable Yellow Door to continue delivering specialist support to more victims of domestic and sexual abuse in Southampton and Western Hampshire.”

Claire Lambon, CEO, Stop Domestic Abuse said: “We welcome this additional funding from the MOJ through the Office of the Police Crime Commissioner which will strengthen our support to victims of domestic abuse living in Hampshire and in the coastal cities of Portsmouth and Southampton. Over the last couple of years, acute domestic abuse experiences during lockdown have compounded trauma for victims of domestic abuse, and the need for our support has never been greater. With this funding, adults and children who have been affected by domestic violence and abuse will have access to urgently needed services delivered in their local communities.”

David Holmes CBE, Chief Executive of Family Action, said: “We are pleased to have secured funding from the MOJ, through the OPCC, for Family Action’s Portsmouth Abuse & Rape Counselling Service, (PARCS), where we will be appointing a dedicated Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) counsellor.

“The PARCS DVA counsellor will provide specialist trauma-informed counselling, for adult survivors of domestic violence and abuse. They will support and help survivors to plan for their futures, following the trauma of domestic violence and abuse.”

Tonia Redvers, Director at the YOU Trust said: “The impact and legacy of COVID-19 and the lockdown, along with the increase in people coming forward for help and support, has put unprecedented pressure on our team to support people experiencing high domestic abuse, and those who have been subjected to rape and sexual assault.

“This MOJ uplift has given us the opportunity to add to our staff team, meaning we can work with more people via our specialist domestic abuse, counselling and therapeutic teams. We were so pleased to be one of the organisations who attracted this funding and thank and appreciate our dedicated staff for their amazing work.”