With September fast approaching we wanted to talk a little bit about the Freedom Programme that we will be running. The freedom programme is a 12 week rolling programme which teaches women about perpetrator behaviour, how to recognise it, acknowledging the tricks and traits of these perpetrators and how to free ourselves from experiencing this behaviour again.

This programme is not solely for women who have experienced domestic abuse, it can be very educational to any woman.

Through examination of the roles, stereotypes, myths and beliefs of both Men and Women we can educate ourselves in the minefield of Domestic Abuse. We will aim to help women make sense of what has happened and the question of “why didn’t I just leave”.

The truth is no-one can just leave and that is why the Freedom Programme exists.

Please come and join us in September by emailing info@safespots.org.uk or call 07873889637

https://www.freedomprogramme.co.uk/

In late November this year, Yves Saint Laurent launched a new campaign that had nothing to do with beauty. This campaign is called ABUSE IS NOT LOVE. The beauty label has chosen to shine a spotlight on domestic abuse and we have found the campaign and its imagery very powerful.

ABUSE IS NOT LOVE draws attention to the fact that an overwhelming one in three women experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime, and its rates increased by 30 to 60 percent during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The campaign highlights 9 key warning signs of an abusive relationship and outlines that abuse can come in many forms; physical, sexual, financial or psychological. The key message of the campaign focuses on psychological as many people in abusive relationships often don’t realise they are victims of psychological abuse and coercive control

We found the imagery of this campaign really shows how psychological abuse chips away at everything a person is, until they feel they have nothing left. At Safespots we see women every day who are left feeling empty and worthless because they have been slowly ground down by a partner. Unlike physical abuse there are often no physical scars but the mental scars remain and can often take a long time to recover from.

We are pleased to see a top name brand like Yves Saint Laurent shining a light on this issue.

We are really pleased to announce that in November 2020, Cardinal Maritime became our first Platinum Sponsor by donating £1500 to the organisation. This fantastic local business asked colleagues to nominate a charity that meant something to them and Wythenshawe Safespots were one of the chosen beneficiaries.

Since the first Covid-19 lockdown in March, the organisation has supported 1249 women. Our support has included the delivery of emergency food supplies, emergency transport to refuge, practical assistance for women moving into new accommodation, emotional support and guidance, virtual sessions and signposting to other services, such as Legal Aid. The additional demand on our services required us to work differently, whilst continuing to support fully.

It is important that domestic abuse is talked about across all levels of society, as it can and does affect anybody and we are really pleased to see such a big local company recognising this and supporting us to continue our work in tackling the issue.

Pat Hawkins, Chair of the Wythenshawe Safespots Board said:

“It is fantastic to see a local company supporting a charity dealing with complex issues within their community. Covid-19 has increased demand on our organisation, with more women needing support around domestic abuse as a result of lockdown and the subsequent restrictions. This donation from Cardinal Maritime will go directly to helping those women in our community who need support. We want to say a big thank you for this donation and we look forward to working with Cardinal Maritime in the future.”

Wythenshawe Safespots continues to operate a telephone support service Monday to Friday 10 – 5pm so, if you or somebody you know needs support, please get in touch on 07873889637 or email us at info@safespots.org.uk

Wythenshawe Safespots have some very exciting news!

After a year long application process we are excited to announce that the National Lottery Community Fund have awarded us five years core funding.

Our main costs, of staffing our fantastic team who support women day in day out, and keeping our drop in centre open so we are in the heart of the community when women need us, will now be covered by the National Lottery until 2024. This means all fundraising efforts and donations can be focused on providing extra services and support to women.

This will make a huge difference to local women and will ensure that this vital service will continue for at least five years.

We would like to send our heartfelt thanks on behalf of local women, our hardworking staff and trustees to everyone who plays the National Lottery for helping us to help keep women safe.

You can find out more at www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk 

Join us for an evening of Northern Soul and Motown. With an optional 70s fancy dress contest for just £2 extra on the night, boogie the night away in retro style!

With a raffle and chances to win big prizes throughout the evening, help us raise funds to help this vital charity to support local women. Event tickets are £10 each and all proceeds go to Wythenshawe Safespots.

Buy Tickets Here