Cheshire East Council has agreed an extension to its refuge provision contract with MyCWA (known as Cheshire Without Abuse) which provides support to adults and children impacted by domestic abuse.
In January the domestic abuse charity issued a press release announcing they faced closure of its vital support centre and survivor services after almost 50 years of service in Cheshire as the Council has confirmed it has no money to fund our services from 31st March 2025.
Saskia Lightburn-Ritchie, Chief Executive MyCWA said "For almost 50 years, people have fled abuse and we'd be there waiting for them. Not just to keep them and their children safe, but to help them heal and break the cycle of abuse.
"I can't quite articulate how catastrophic the impact of this funding decision is going to be. It will be felt for decades to come."
However, a 12-month contract of £150,000 has now been agreed which will enable the charity to continue to provide 16 units of accommodation in Cheshire East.
Councillor Laura Crane, chair of Cheshire East Council's children and families committee, said: "Supporting victims of domestic abuse in Cheshire East is and remains a priority. Our Domestic Abuse Family Safety Unit works tirelessly to ensure victims know support is always available. The council not only offers a comprehensive suite of services but also works hard to maintains robust relationships with local organisations.
"To ensure continuity of support for victims of domestic abuse, we are extending our contract with MyCWA, ensuring adequate refuge provision for the coming year. During this period, we will continue to redesign our domestic abuse services to guarantee integrated support for children, young people, victims, and perpetrators of domestic abuse."
"As someone who has personally used these services, I am committed to actively promoting access to our support services and highlighting the essential and impactful work our domestic abuse team does."
This comes as Cheshire East Council will launch its new Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy for public consultation in the coming months.
Saskia Lightburn-Ritchie said: "We welcome this extension of refuge accommodation funding, which will allow us to continue supporting vulnerable families and individuals to escape and heal from abuse. We also look forward to the voices of the Cheshire East community being heard in the upcoming public consultation, and survivors themselves being able to help shape the future of domestic abuse support across Cheshire East."
