Avon and Somerset PCC Sue Mountstevens has secured £505,983 of funding for local support services who help victims and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence.
Avon and Somerset PCC Sue Mountstevens
The PCC and her team were successful in their bid to the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) ‘Covid-19 Extraordinary Ministry of Justice Funding for Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Support Service’, which was launched at the beginning of June.
The fund was set up to help cover organisations’ losses and costs incurred, following both adapting and increasing their services during the pandemic.
The fund also aims to help these organisations strengthen their response to any potential change in demand and complexity of need in the recovery phase of lockdown.
The Police and Crime Commissioner will follow up with the successful organisations in the autumn to understand how the funding has made a difference to their service and victims of domestic and sexual abuse.
Local organisations were encouraged to apply for the funding and those successful include domestic abuse and sexual violence support services that are already commissioned by the PCC and other organisations she has not worked with before.
Avon and Somerset organisations that have been awarded funding include:
- Crimestoppers
- Kinergy
- Safe Link
- Next Link
- Southmead Project
- The Greenhouse
- Mankind Initiative
- The Nelson Trust
- VOICES
- Opoka
- SARSAS
- Southside Family Project
- Swan
- The YOU Trust
- Trauma Breakthrough
- VANS – Reclaim Project
- Victim Support
PCC Sue Mountstevens said: “We know lockdown had a significant impact on victims who were living with perpetrators, who were even more isolated from loved ones and who felt that there was no way to escape.
“With restrictions lifting, we are entering the recovery phase of the pandemic and we need to ensure that all victims and survivors who have been at risk during lockdown know that help is out there.
“This additional funding will strengthen local support services’ response to any change in demand as life starts to return to some sort of ‘normal.’
“I am delighted that the MoJ recognised the value of our bid and I want to say thank you to my commissioning team who were given very little time to apply for the fund.
“The extra funding will be divided amongst 17 hard-working organisations who go above and beyond to ensure victims and survivors receive the help they deserve.”
