Safe in Sussex gets £75,000 grant for refuge manager, securing future of service for victims of domestic abuse

The Lloyds Bank Foundation has made the donation to support the salary of a refuge manager, who will oversee three refuges across West Sussex, providing women and children a place of safety when their lives are in danger.

Sharon Howard, chief executive of Safe in Sussex, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded funding from the trustees of Lloyds Bank Foundation.

“The funding for a refuge manager ensures that local women experiencing domestic abuse receive support and assistance before the domestic abuse escalates to a dangerous level.

“It enables us to provide more options for people in unhealthy relationships with a known place in the community to access a range of services under one roof.

“Amber House offers support through a community refuge and a drop-in centre in Littlehampton.”

As well as refuges, Safe in Sussex provides education on domestic abuse.

The funding means its future is secure and it can continue to delivering this vital work over the next three years.

Safe in Sussex, based in Worthing, has been providing refuges and education on domestic abuse since 1977. The newest refuge, Amber House, is an innovative, early-intervention shelter based on the Dutch Orange House model, which works with the whole family to build healthy relationships.

The grant follows a donation of £55,000 from the foundation in 2016 and is testament to the effective results they are achieving.

Paul Streets, chief executive of Lloyds Bank Foundation, said: “As our latest research has shown, there is a quiet crisis facing local authorities. Ever-tighter budgets mean vulnerable people have to rely on the support of local charities like Safe in Sussex.

“They’re not just a ‘nice to have’, their work is making a vital difference, day in, day out, to people’s lives.

“We’re proud to partner with Safe in Sussex as part of Lloyds Banking Group’s plan to Help Britain Prosper, supporting the costs of their work, strengthening them, and helping raise their voice among the policy-makers and decision-makers their future depends on.”

Safe in Sussex is one of eight charities in the south east supported in Lloyds Bank Foundation’s latest funding round, which awarded £537,160 across the region, tackling issues such as mental health, domestic abuse and homelessness.

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