FearFree have secured £706.659 from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK, to tackle domestic abuse in the South West.
The Education, Training and Employment Programme will provide people who have been affected by trauma with a range of learning and work opportunities.
The Programme
The programme is open to both survivors of domestic abuse and people who have overcome their own harmful behaviour. Each person will receive bespoke support to help them to access meaningful education and employment. The Charity believes this approach will reduce the number of people who return to abusive relationships and provide better outcomes for people who are rebuilding their lives.
It will be delivered alongside a range of partners and offer a range of one to one and group opportunities including work coaching, CV writing, financial management, ICT skills and work placements.
First of its kind
The programme is the first of its kind and extends the support currently available in the United Kingdom. The findings from the three-year programme will be shared with policy makers, local authorities and charities at a National Conference in order to shape the future of domestic abuse support.
Claire Marshall, FearFree CEO said;
“When a person has experienced trauma, it can be hard for them to access meaningful education and employment. Our new programme will deliver real change by equipping people with the skills and stability they need to help them thrive outside of an abusive relationship.
This is a programme that has the potential to transform the sector and that we believe is key to breaking the cycle of abuse.”
Jess Gay, FearFree’s Head of Fundraising said;
“We are incredibly grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund and its supporters for funding this life changing programme. At a time when the cost-of-living crisis is causing more victims to stay with abusive partners, our programme will be there to support them to take back control of their lives. It is a real privilege to be able to help people rebuild their lives”.
The programme is open to people of all genders, aged over 15 years who live in Bristol, Devon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. It will open in Spring 2024. For more information, please email admin@fearfree.org.uk
