Double funding boost for Bognor domestic abuse charity

During lockdown, My Sisters’ House Women’s Centre carried on supporting ‘hundreds of women’ and introduced three helplines and a live chat.

Following an increase in people seeking support, the charity decided that it would need to employ another complex needs worker for nine months to ‘enable our drop-in [service] to be open even longer’. 

Charity CEO and founder Julie Budge set up a Spacehive Crowdfunder, ‘MSH Drop-in 4 Help Appeal’, which reached its target of £9,000.

Ms Budge said: “The community raised £9,300 reaching the target with 98 backers. These funds are vital and will make a difference to all women as we can open the doors more and become more accessible.

“It means so much to us that local people are supporting what we do – community together making a difference. 

“It is not an easy time for charities, and we are so fortunate to be receiving literally life-saving funds.

“We have made changes quickly, and adapted but we are delighted to now be offering face-to-face appointments from this week and hopefully walk-in will be in offer from August.”

This was another welcome boost for the charity which was already ‘so delighted’ to have been awarded a grant from the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner. This came after the Government announced a package of £20 million to support victims and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence.

My Sisters’ House was one of 21 local support services that received a grant from Katy Bourne after she successfully secured £700,000 of emergency funding for Sussex.

Last week, the Bognor charity was awarded £49,670 to ‘increase staffing for our domestic abuse service’.

The extra funding will be used to help meet any additional costs incurred by local charities during the pandemic and to help them prepare and expand their services to cope with the expected influx in referrals as lockdown restrictions continue to loosen.

PCC Bourne said: “Many of our local support services have struggled financially through lockdown, having to rapidly adapt their services to ensure help remains available for those in need.

“We are already seeing more people coming forward for help and, as lockdown restrictions loosen further, we must be prepared for an even greater influx.

“My Sisters’ House Women’s Centre is a wonderful example of many organisations in Sussex working hard to ensure that victims do not suffer in silence during this pandemic and
beyond.

“This money will help them to recoup and expand their valuable services so they can continue to provide vital support to our most vulnerable.”

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