It will support 36 grassroots groups working locally to provide access to legal advice, counselling, emergency housing and other key services
Sadiq Khan has today announced a fresh £3million investment in City Hall’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Grassroots Fund to deliver “tailored support” for the thousands affected by violence and exploitation in London.
The targeted funding will build on the success of the initial £3m VAWG Grassroots Fund which supported 41 organisations and over 30,000 women, girls and families from minority communities, between 2021 and 2023.
This time, 36 grassroots groups will be receiving investment from the mayor’s fund work locally to provide access to legal advice, counselling, emergency housing and other key services.
Among them is Claudia Jones Organisation, which supports 60 women of Afro-Caribbean heritage in eight boroughs including Enfield, Barnet, Waltham Forest and Haringey; Enfield Saheli, which supports 120 domestic abuse survivors in Enfield, mainly belonging to South Asian communities; Stand Together Network, which supports 200 women who have experienced domestic violence in Enfield and Haringey; and Free Your Mind, which supports provision of one-to-one therapeutic support to 750 children and young people from black and Asian backgrounds who have been victims of domestic violence in Waltham Forest and Redbridge.
The renewed action to help women and girls from underrepresented communities comes amid warnings from charities that the ongoing cost-of-living crisis makes it more difficult for survivors of domestic abuse to rebuild their lives, forcing them into debt and, in some cases, to stay with their abusers.
The London mayor’s fund will work to ensure the most vulnerable women and girls have access to the specialist help they need and deserve where they are. It is part of a total £233m investment City Hall has made to tackle violence against women and girls, address waiting lists and keep doors open for vital specialist support services for victims and survivors during the cost-of-living crisis.
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Khan said: “I am determined to ensure that ending violence against women and girls is treated with the utmost urgency by our police and society as a whole.
“Local grassroots services know their communities and are best placed to help, but we know the ongoing cost-of-living crisis is having an unprecedented impact on women and children experiencing violence and abuse and the life-saving services they need.
“That’s why I have today announced £3m more in funding for my Violence Against Women and Girls Grassroots Fund to help keep doors open for key and specialised services for underrepresented communities who too often have nowhere to turn.
“As we continue to work together to build a safer London for everyone, I’m determined to do everything I can to help these organisations which are experiencing a surge in demand to support more women and girls. I look forward to working closely with the new government in the coming months to do even more to support the most vulnerable in our society and help them access the one-to-one help they desperately need and deserve.”
Karen Wint, chief executive of women’s health charity Sister Circle, said: “For us as an organization, this grant came at a critical time for our counselling service, supporting women with emotional and mental scars of female genital cutting. Being able to offer the service in multiple community languages means more women can access our service. This helps us deliver expert care and improve the wellbeing and long-term mental health of women and girls who have been through this ordeal.”
Lynne Tooze from Beyond the Streets added: “We are very grateful for the support from this funding We work with some of the most vulnerable women in our communities and the fact that Mopac support this work sends a message. We are all valuable and all deserve support.”
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