Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Christmas Wish For Wellington Women’s Refuge

As we approach Christmas it is a time for reflection for many. Here at Wellington Women’s Refuge our reflection has bought to our attention that we have faced a 95% increase- almost double- the number of women and children coming to us for advocacy and support around domestic violence in the last year.

In response to this Wellington Women's Refuge has pulled out all the stops to make sure that no one misses out or receives poor support due to services being stretched.

Some of the things Wellington Women's Refuge have done include; employing more advocates to work with women, achieving approval for a Tamaariki programme to be run for children affected by witnessing domestic violence and planning to launch a women's programme.

However the ability for Wellington Women’s Refuge to continue to expand its high quality, effective service is impaired due to the most practical and inhibiting of considerations…space!

We at Wellington Women’s Refuge have considerably outgrown our community office where we are based and find ourselves unable to progress at all until we find larger accommodation. Amy Ross, advocate at Wellington Refuge says “It’s so frustrating, being on the precipice of launching all these great services and programmes, in response to what our communities say they need, only to be held back by not having enough office space!”

That’s why in appealing from support from the community around Christmas this year, the Wellington Women's Refuge collective wishes to highlight this desperate need. Ms Ross states “If someone out in the community has access to or can connect us with a great, affordable new office space or house in or near the central city it would be the best Christmas present Refuge, and those we support, could wish for”

ENDS

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