There has been a concerning increase in reports of domestic violence during the current period of social distancing. The Government has taken additional action to protect victims of domestic abuse, including the provision of £2 million in funding to relevant helplines, charities, and organisations. The recent £750 million funding boost for charities will also be partially allocated to domestic abuse centres and support groups. In addition to this, an awareness campaign has been launched across social media platforms to demonstrate that help is available to those who need it, whenever they need it.
If you need help you can:
- Contact a 24 hour freephone helpline, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline- 0808 2000 247 (run by Refuge) and online www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk.
- Use the Silent Solution option in emergencies. Anybody requiring urgent medical or police assistance is encouraged to call 999. For those at risk, unable to say over the phone what help is needed, they should stay on the line and when prompted by the operator dial 55. This will let the emergency services know that it is a Domestic Abuse incident and does not put the victim at risk.
- Make use of free train travel to refuge accommodation as part of the Rail to Refuge campaign - details here.
You can help others by:
- Sharing campaign materials and helpline numbers on your social media and with any relevant groups, using the hashtag #YouAreNotAlone.
- Putting a poster in your window. Create a poster for your window, sharing the freephone helpline information along with a handprint (or outline of a hand) and the message #YouAreNotAlone.