We were delighted to hear that Morrisons has become the latest business to announce that they will use part of their stores to allow people experiencing domestic abuse to access a safe space. This follows on from the announcement that Superdrug and Boots were participating in the Safer Spaces scheme, along with many more independent pharmacies too.Â
Safer Spaces
The Safer Spaces scheme was launched by UK charity Hestia, following the increase in people accessing support during the Coronavirus pandemic.Â
Those experiencing domestic abuse are able to use the consultation spaces in Boots, Superdrug and Morrisons pharmacies to contact support services for help and advice.Â
Hestia announced in May that over 2,800 pharmacies across the country were involved in the scheme, with a further 117 Morrisons pharmacies also participating after recently joining the initiative.Â
It was also announced that information on how to access support would be shared on posters and till receipts across all of Morrisons’ 494 UK stores.Â
Accessing Support
The lockdown period has been a difficult period for those experiencing domestic abuse, as they have often been forced to isolate with their perpetrator.Â
This means that there have been potentially limited opportunities to reach out for support, through fear of alerting the perpetrator.Â
The introduction of safe spaces means that they are able to access support whilst doing an activity that is unlikely to cause too much suspicion, such as going to collect a prescription or going to the supermarket to buy food.Â
How To Get Support
If you are in immediate danger, you should always call 999. You can also contact the police in a silent and safe manner by dialling 999 and then pressing 55 to indicate that it is not safe for you to talk. Â
Leeway’s services are still running as normally and safely as possible at this time, and you can contact us by calling 0300 561 0077. If it is not safe for you to speak, you can still access support by emailing adviceandsupport@leewaynwa.org.ukÂ
