I am delighted to have the opportunity to write a few words for our supporters, updating everyone on what has been a busy couple of months for Leeway. We have launched a couple of new services lately, requiring a lot of hard work from our dedicated team of staff and our volunteers too, which I am very grateful for. Christmas is slowly creeping up on us, so I am sure it will continue to be very busy over the next few months too!
Suffolk IDVA Service
As you may have seen in our recent blog post, we have been commissioned to provide the Independent Domestic Violence Advocacy (IDVA) service in Suffolk in partnership with Suffolk Constabulary.
It is an important service, providing support to those who have been assessed as being at risk of serious harm, and I am delighted that we will be providing this in Suffolk.
This is a service that we have already been running in Norfolk and, in the last year, we have supported over 3,000 people, highlighting how important this service is.
Thank you to everyone that has been involved in preparing everything for the handover of Suffolk IDVA service and I am sure that it will prove to be a great success.
Project SafetyNet+
We are also delighted to be able to run a new service in partnership with Norfolk Community Law Service and Norfolk Community Advice Network called Project SafetyNet+, across Norfolk and Suffolk.
As part of this, we have five multi-lingual workers, covering Russian, Polish, Lithuanian, Portuguese and Romanian. They will be able to offer support to people experiencing domestic abuse in a language they understand, as well as offering immigration options advice.
We are also able to facilitate the spot purchasing of emergency domestic abuse refuge accommodation (for up to 14 nights) for single people and access legal advice around immigration laws, to help people access mainstream refuge accommodation.
This is an important service, helping to break down some of the barriers that could prevent someone from being able to access the support that they need, and we are pleased that the first couple of months have been successful.
Looking Ahead
The next couple of months are always busy for Leeway with our Annual Ball coming up, as well as our Christmas Campaign – which has been successful in recent years.
I’m always amazed at the amount of generous donations our Christmas Campaign receives from individuals, organisations and community groups. These donations, no matter how small, can help to put a smile on the faces of the women and children receiving support, both in our refuges and living in the community, at such a difficult time.
Many of the women and children who stay at our refuges arrive with very little or nothing, so the smallest little gift can make all the difference for them.
I would like to close by thanking everyone for their continued support of Leeway, it is gratefully appreciated and allows us to continue to offer a high-quality service to those that need us.
Mandy Proctor, Chief Executive.
