Weymouth Womens' Refuge

Published on Fri 30th Apr 2010

Cherry Orchard, 50 Buxton Road,

WEYMOUTH DT4 9PN Tel. 01.305.773885

e-mail cherry-o@gotadsl.co.uk

Letters to the Editor

30/04/2010

Many readers will have seen the letter in the Echo of 29 April from the staff of the Weymouth Women's Refuge thanking everyone who have supported them over the years.

The Echo's headline, 'A final goodbye from the refuge', is however, not exactly true.

The Domestic Violence and Abuse Forum, which I Chair, has been successful in setting up a fundraising arm and securing generous funding from local businesses and local churches. It is the beneficiary of sponsorship from a London Marathon runner who has raised sponsorship money from the event with the purpose of helping to re-open a new Refuge.

We have just secured the support of nationally renowned campaigner Erin Pizzey who started the refuge movement in the early 1970's when she opened the first Women's Refuge in Chiswick. She has worked tirelessly over the years to bring the issue of domestic violence from behind the curtains and into the open.

Local Councils have indicated that they are willing to support our initiative to reopen a refuge in Weymouth. A business plan is being prepared and a constitution drafted to enable the initiative to proceed further, and to enable the procurement of funding to be taken forward. Initial talks with housing associations and charities are already taking place.

The building is still being used for the provision of a telephone support service until the end of June.

I would like to echo the thanks of the staff for all the support they have received from the community. I recognise the valuable help the staff have given to victims of domestic violence and their children and I would like to add a personal thank you to staff, both past and present for the work they have done under challenging circumstances.

Yours sincerely,

Mary Watson - Chair.

Domestic Violence and Abuse Forum, Weymouth