Save Weymouth Women's Refuge

8.10.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 20th Aug 2009

Demonstrating against the closure of the steps of County Hall

See our petition to save the refuge in Weymouth, due to be closed next March because it does not take men & supposedly to help fund outreach for victims of domestic violence all over Dorset. Closure of the refuge, which costs only £83,000 per year, will not provide sufficient funds for outreach.

Prospective MP Ros Kayes says " The recent decision by the Conservative cabinet to shut the refuge is a nightmare vision of cuts to public services to come. It's not sufficient to just have outreach programmes to deal with domestic violence. Women need a place where they can go when they are in immediate danger. Closing one refuge in Dorset affects capacity in the whole of Dorset. I fear that if this refuge is closed in the name of outreach, then more will follow. We need outreach services of course - but not at the expense of the safety offered to women by refuges. Please sign our online petition. "