Back in 2016 Wythenshawe Safespots, alongside Tom Watson MP and Mike Kane MP, kick started the Scrap the Fee Campaign. Women up and down the country who had been victims of abuse were being charged by their GP for a letter as proof of this in order for them to access legal aid so that they could be supported and represented in the court process.

Safespots raised this issue with Mike and Tom and were supported to launch a national campaign to Scrap The Fee. This campaign received the support of thousands via an online petition. The government acknowledged the campaign and made changes so that victims could get the letter from more sources including domestic abuse organisations and housing providers.

Safespots believed this still wasn’t enough. They continued to campaign. Earlier this year as part of the domestic abuse bill, Scrap The Fee was considered. The campaign received support through Parliament and is now set to be legislated for as part of the Domestic Abuse Bill. This means that no GP across England or Wales will be able to charge women for that letter.

Mike Kane MP says:

“I would like to congratulate the women of Safespots for their commitment to this campaign and for their commitment to the safety of women in Wythenshawe and Sale East. Victims of abuse should never be charged for a piece of paper to prove they have been affected by this terrible scourge upon women. I hope the removal of this barrier will make it easier for women to access to legal representation and justice. I am incredibly proud to have this survivor led service based in my constituency”

Sarah Judge from Safespots says:

“I am delighted that this has now been brought into law. No woman should ever be faced with the decision of whether to feed their family or keep their family safe. I want to say a big thank you to Lord Kennedy for championing this cause. It is amazing that a small grass roots organisation from Wythenshawe has stepped up and changed the law.”

Wythenshawe Safespots was established in 2015. It is a community led domestic abuse service based in Wythenshawe Town Centre offering holistic support, advice and guidance to women who have experienced abuse.

If you or somebody you know needs help you can get in touch on 07873889637 or email info@safespots.org.uk. Phone lines are open Monday to Friday 9.30 – 4.30.

New exercise sessions called ‘Shake the Dust’ are being delivered in the centre and feedback from attendees has been amazing.

‘Shake the Dust’ focuses on activating the nervous system through the physical body, for mental health and well-being. It is a transformative, embodied, workout of the body/heart/mind that is rooted in a trauma informed approach to exercise.

 ‘Shake the Dust’ involves shaking, jumping, dancing, intuitive movement and body weight training, not to mention a brilliant playlist!

Sessions are designed for anyone and will at best deliver a cathartic release, a great workout, SWEAT and a strong, resilient body.

Building a resilient body provides a platform for transferrable skills, as it leads to the raising of self-esteem and confidence.

Quotes from attendees after their first session:

‘I feel 16 again’
‘What an amazing experience’ 

 ‘I feel free to express myself’ 

‘What a great workout’

‘I feel emancipated ‘

‘A fantastic way to start the week’

June 2021

During the Covid crisis, Safespots participants have been accessing Yoga and Meditation to support their well-being and emotional health. For many women, the sessions have been a lifeline, enabling them to focus on themselves.

There is a growing body of research from various sources, to back up Yoga and Meditation benefits for well-being.

Yoga increases body awareness, relieves stress, reduces muscle tension, strain and inflammation, sharpens attention and concentration and calms and centers the nervous system.

Meditation is a very precise technique which allows the mind to rest and for the people to achieve a state of consciousness, totally different from the usual state of awareness.

Yoga and Meditation have far-reaching effects enabling people to reach all levels of self-promoting awareness, peace, relaxation and healing. When you practice Yoga and Meditation, you seek the stillness and purity that a silent mind affords.  Both Yoga and Meditation allow a way of shutting out errant thoughts and the muddled mind associated with everyday stressful living.

Yoga and Meditation have a long, illustrious history and perhaps it has never been needed as much as now in the complexities of Covid-19. With all the modern-day stresses and strains, these practices are a successful form of stress reduction, which promotes health and well-being. Yoga and Meditation have evolved over thousands of years into the structured practice of modern times.

It has been wonderful to see women at Safespots actively access a space of inner calm and peace from these sessions, delving into their ‘inner world’ and finding a sense of clarity. They have all experienced trauma and it is great to see them begin to use Yoga and Meditation to help them to work through difficult times.

I look forward to continuing to work alongside the Safespots Team.

Quotes from session attendees:

‘It’s about finding a balance as negative energy takes us off balance’

‘We are worth the investment’
‘Happy mom – happy child’

‘Thank you for this opportunity – Safespots is a lifeline’

April 2021

February 1^st 2021 marked 5 years since Safespots opened its doors for the very first time. Nobody could have predicted 5 years ago the amazing journey the organisation has gone on since then. We have gone from a community campaign to a registered charity that has supported thousands of women and families within this time. We always said when we set out that the hard work would be worth it if we managed to help just one woman.

Nobody imagined years ago we could say with absolute certainty that we would help women to start new lives, change lives and saved lives. The road has often been bumpy! We have on more than one occasion questioned if Safespots would continue or not but, the organisation has survived these challenges and the passion and commitment of those involved has always ensured Safespots lived to see another day.

There have been so many highlights over the last five years, including:

• Opening doors to the centre
• Going to Parliament to meet with government ministers about ‘Scrap the Fee’
• Multiple fun-filled fundraising events
• Working with brilliant community partners
• Gaining charitable status
• Securing 5 years of core funding
• The ultimate highlight is seeing so many women move onto happier and safer lives

The work done by Safespots has helped women see their own power, believe in themselves and work towards their potential.

Safespots has continued to operate during the pandemic where the service has been a lifeline to so many women suffering from and fleeing abuse. We hope the next year sees a return to a more normal way of life as we have many plans for the future including expanding our team, delivering a wider range of sessions and working towards increasing the offer of our specialist service.

We want to take this opportunity to thank all of our volunteers, funders and community partners. The past 5 years has been an amazing journey and we look forward to continuing our work in the years to come.

If you or somebody you know needs help and support or you want to get involved, please get in touch by calling 07873889637. Our phone lines are open Monday to Friday 10 – 5 or alternatively, email info@safespots.org.uk

Safespots will continue to operate the phone line up until 5.00pm on 23rd December 2020 The service will reopen on 4th January 2021 at 10.00am 

Please get in touch if you need advice and support on 07873889637 or email info@safespots.org.uk 

If you or somebody you know needs help during the Christmas period, you can contact the

National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 200 0247

This service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If you or somebody you know are in immediate danger, then please call 999 

Safespots would like to wish all of our service users, partners and colleagues a safe and peaceful festive season and we look forward to seeing you again in the New Year

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.