Supporting women and children against domestic violence
The Women’s Aid Survivor’s Handbook provides practical support and information for women experiencing domestic abuse, with simple guidance on every aspect of seeking support.
It is available in alternative formats, including translations and audio recordings.
Find it on the Women’s Aid website.
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who donated items towards our wish list. Your generosity and kindness means that Christmas will be a little better for the women and children supported by us.
A heartfelt thank you from us all.
This winter is a time of difficulty for many and we are truly grateful to any anyone who is able to make a donation towards our work, however small. Your support makes a real difference.
The families we support in our refuge have fled abusive relationships. Many arrive with very few possessions due to the urgency of their flight, leaving behind everything that is familiar. During their time in the refuge we offer advice and support to help them start to rebuild their lives. We have supported 79 single women and those with families to date in 2022.
Not all victim survivors of domestic abuse are eligible to go to a refuge, and our IDVA Outreach workers support women who are living in the community. This includes safety planning, accessing practical advice, and support with leaving an abusive relationship. Counselling is available, along with group programmes which help women to make sense of their experience and understand they are not to blame, and to spot the red flags in potential future relationships. During 2022 we have supported 308 IVDA and Outreach clients to date.
If you are able to support us at this time – thank you!
“From the bottom of my heart – thank you. You have made me feel and be confident in the right steps… I now know there is a life out there for me to live on my own terms.” (A service user)
Buckinghamshire Council Community Safety and Thames Valley Police have produced resources to help people stay safe, especially at this busy time of year.
You can find out tips on getting home safely here. These include being aware of your surroundings, avoiding distractions such as listening to music and chatting on the phone, as well as specific tips for travel by public transport.
You can finds tips on staying safe at parties here. These include ensuring your mobile phone is fully charged before going out and being aware of who is around you.
White Ribbon Day is on 25th November each year and marks the beginning of 16 days of awareness and action to call an end to male violence against women and girls.
This year White Ribbon Day falls on the same week as the start of the FIFA World Cup and willl highlight 11 traits men and boys can nurture to help create a world of equality and safety for women. That’s #TheGoal for White Ribbon Day 2022.
Find our more about White Ribbon Day here.
We offer one to one support and advocacy for young people (for both young women and men) aged 11 (in secondary school) to 17, providing emotional and practical support for those who have experience domestic violence in their household, or directly in their own intimate relationships.
One-hour sessions are offered, usually over a six-week period. Based on individual needs, the sessions may include risk assessments, safety and support planning, referral and signposting to specialist agencies and advocacy and support at professional meetings or through legal processes.
Referrals can be made directly or via statutory or voluntary agencies. Referrals forms and more details are available from enquiries.awaid@outlook.com or by telephone 01296 437777.
See our leaflet here.
The Expect Respect Programme is a healthy relationship programme for young people (both young women and men) aged between 11 to 13. It is delivered in one-hour sessions over a five-week period and is suitable for small or large groups.
The programme is based on the Women’s Aid ‘Expect Respect’ Toolkit and challenges assumptions about gender, power and equality. It promotes the message that abuse is not acceptable and helps young people to understand the difference between abusive and non-abusive behaviour. It will support young people to manage feelings, as well as accepting responsibility for one’s own feelings and behaviour. It provides information on peer support and where young people can get help.
Referrals can be made directly or via statutory or voluntary agencies. Referrals forms and more details are available from enquiries.awaid@outlook.com or by telephone 01296 437777.
AWAre – Aylesbury Women’s Aid Relationship Empowerment is a programme for young women aged between 13 and 17 years of age. The programme allows young women the opportunity to explore what an abusive relationship is and how to protect themselves by recognising abusive behaviours.
The programme runs for 5 weeks and will consist of a minimum of 6 and a maximium of 12 young women. The AWAre programme uses aspects of the “Expect Respect” toolkit and is very interactive. It will explore issues such as boundaries, conflict, gender stereotypes, attitudes and beliefs and control versus love. It aims to boost confidence and self esteem and empower young women to help to strengthen understandings of their own rights in relationships
Referrals can be made directly or via statutory or voluntary agencies. Referrals forms and more details are available from enquiries.awaid@outlook.com or by telephone 01296 437777.
We can also offer one off workshops for young people in schools, on healthy relationships and domestic violence. They can be adapted to suit the needs of the school and the students.
These workshops allow schools and colleges a way of evidencing that they are building resilience amongst young people, in accordance with the principles established by the Children’s Act 1989 and 2004, and the Education Act 2002, including the responsibility under Section 157 to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
For more information about workshops and training that can be provided, please contact enquiries.awaid@outlook.com or telephone 01296 437777.
Children and young people can find out more about domestic violence at The Hideout. This is a national website for children and young people to inform about domestic violence and to help them identify if it is happening in their home.
Violence at the home can have an enormous impact on children and young people, whether as witnesses of parental violence or because of the increased risks of direct abuse to children themselves. Adults and children have a right to live free of fear and abuse.
Children are completely dependent upon the adults around them to ensure they are provided with the right environment to grow up into happy, healthy adults. If they do not feel safe in their own home, whether because of violence or for fear of being abused themselves, this can have many negative physical and emotional effects.
Asking for help is never easy. You may feel you will be blamed for failing as a parent, fear your children will be taken from you or even feel you are failing just by asking for help. You are never to blame if someone is abusing either you or your children and violence in the home can be an offence.
You may believe that it is best for your children to remain with your husband or partner and keep the family together, despite the presence of mental abuse, violence and fear. However children will feel more secure with one parent in a stable environment than two parents in an unstable one.
It is frequently underestimated how much even very young children can be aware of the violence, and of the long term damaging effects on children and young people.
For external agencies that work with other issues affecting children and young people, please see our other agencies page.
