Lambeth (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Lambeth hosts Mayor Sadiq Khan as he announces £6m investment to support domestic abuse victims, providing aid for safe accommodation and long-term recovery.
Sadiq chose Lambeth to host the announcement in honor of the borough’s leadership in London in combating violence against women and girls, as well as the council’s successful collaboration with local organizations that aid the poor, such as Refuge, Solace, and Asha.
Cllr Claire Holland, the Leader of Lambeth Council, said:
“We are proud of Lambeth’s leading work to support women and girls who are victims and survivors of domestic abuse, and to work with the Mayor of London on our shared ambitions to keep women and girls safe.
This visit recognises Lambeth’s long history of strong local funding, partnerships and expertise. We are committed to tackling gender-based violence in all its forms in our borough and have protected these services from the deep funding cuts our sector has faced over many years.”
With 52 refuge bed spaces funded by Lambeth Council, it has twice as many commissioned domestic abuse safe shelter beds as the average London borough.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:
“Domestic abuse refuges and community organisations are a lifeline for so many Londoners in need.
Despite caseloads growing, grassroot support groups are struggling to survive due to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and years of underfunding from the previous government.
So I’m pleased to be working with partners to fund vital support services for thousands of survivors of domestic abuse and violence who need safe accommodation across our city.”
Established in 2021, Lambeth Council’s strategy outlines how the council will collaborate with its partners to address violence against women and girls over the next five years.
In order to guarantee that victims of domestic abuse get the assistance they require to successfully and safely reconstruct their lives, this financing is essential.
It expands upon earlier tactics and ten years of effort to create efficient services, collaborations, and procedures that assist victims, survivors, and their kids while holding offenders accountable.
Cllr Holland said:
“The majority of our offer is culturally specific support in recognition of the evidenced benefit of tailored support for women and their children fleeing abuse.
There is also specialist community-based support for victims and survivors of all genders and ages who are at risk of gender based violence through our free, confidential and independent service, the Gaia Centre.
We now look forward to working with the Mayor and his team on a fair and sustainable offer for those fleeing domestic abuse across London.”
What are the key highlights regarding this?
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, announced a fresh £6 million initiative to help victims of domestic violence. This financing is a component of a larger effort to improve victim assistance, such as counseling, legal counsel, and housing support.
The goal of the funding is to give thousands of survivors in London access to essential support services. It expands on the Mayor’s track record of funding initiatives to address violence against girls and women.
More than 23,500 victims and survivors have benefited from the Mayor’s more than £54 million investment in support services throughout London since the Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation (DASA) program was introduced in 2021.
DASA has provided financing to Lambeth Council, supporting initiatives including Women’s Aid and Refuge. These groups offer survivors vital support, such as housing and therapy.