Community / Lottery funding helps securing future of Shetland Women’s Aid
SHETLAND Women’s Aid has secured funding worth £280,000 over the next four years from the National Lottery community fund.
The grant funding will support the development of the charity’s trauma recovery programme aimed to break cycles of domestic abuse by offering one to one therapy, group sessions, and refuge and when needed.
Shetland Women’s Aid offers help to women and children who have been affected by domestic abuse or gender based violence including boys up to the age of 18. This also includes young people who have experienced their own abusive relationships.
Local manager Laura Stronach said the funding secures the organisation’s current full time adult domestic abuse support and advocacy post and would provide an additional part time post for the children’s service.
“This gives us the space and time to manage and implement our restructure and to continue to build on the funding for the future sustainability of Shetland’s domestic abuse response for women and children,” she said.
Maureen McGinn of the National Lottery community fund added: “The award will make a big difference where it is needed most and I wish Shetland Women’s Aid every success as it goes on to develop and expand its project for the benefit of their local community.”
New ground breaking Scottish legislation, which recognises that any child who is part of a family and who has experienced an abusive parent is affected and has therefore also been abused, has come into force on 1 April.
Stronach said: “We aim to reach all children who want to access service who have an experience of domestic abuse.”
She added: “Donations continue to be received by our service from members of the public, organisations and businesses which can now help support the refuge, and educational prevention work as well as much needed funding for training and the implementation and support to the new law.”
Shetland Women’s Aid is looking to recruit more member to its board of trustees and would be interested to hear from anyone interested in the welfare of women and children in Shetland. More info at www.shetlandwa.org
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