What does Refuge provide?

Refuge is a national domestic violence charity which provides emergency accommodation and emotional and practical support to women and children in need of its services:

• Refuge is the UK’s largest single provider of specialist accommodation and support to women and children
  escaping domestic violence
  Refuge opened the world’s first safe house for women and children experiencing domestic violence in
  Chiswick, London at the end of 1971
• Since then Refuge has grown to become the UK’s largest organisation of its kind, helping and supporting
  women and children experiencing domestic violence – a national “lifeline” for up to 80,000 women and
  children every year.

What does Refuge provide?

• 24 Hour National Domestic Violence Helpline – 0808 2000 247, run in partnership with Women’s Aid
• Refuge supports, through the Helpline, in the region of 80,000 women and children each year
• Safe, emergency accommodation through a growing network of refuges
• Refuge refers women in need of emergency domestic violence services to the 500 refuges around the
  country and provides a safe place for up to 1,200 women and children every year
• Refuge is the single largest independent provider of refuge space
• Refuge manages safe houses specifically set up for African Caribbean and Asian women
• Individual and group counselling for abused women
• A resettlement service offering continued emotional and practical support during and after move-on
  from refuges
• An outreach project for women from minority ethnic communities
• Campaigning and lobbying for better provision for women and children
• Refuge actively campaigns for society to recognise that domestic violence is a crime that we are all
  responsible for bringing the issue out of the shadows
• Refuge launched the Don’t Ignore Domestic Violence campaign in September 2003 with a national hard
  hitting cinema advertising campaign. This was supported by an awareness and fundraising campaign
  with The Body Shop and a media partnership campaign with The Sun
• The second phase of the campaign January-March comprised of a £1 million national poster advertising
  campaign, which was again supported by The Body Shop and The Sun
• Working with the government and key domestic violence bodies
• Responding to and lobbying consultation documents. Currently in mid-consultation re: Domestic
  Violence, Crimes & Victims Bill; Every Child Matters; Restorative Justice; Partial Defences to Murder
  (Refuge responses are all available by email, contact: info@refuge.org.uk )