Mayor announces additional £9million to deliver more support for survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence

• ·       Fresh £3million to help survivors become financially independent of abusers, including through skills and employment opportunities.
• ·       New funds will provide additional support for victims and survivors for the next three years and are on top of over £277m investment the Mayor has overseen to tackle VAWG since he came to office.
• ·       Mayor shares International Women’s Day message to Londoners on giant Outernet London screens, encouraging everyone to champion, respect and believe women.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced an additional £9million of funding for specialist support to help victims and survivors of violence against women and girls (VAWG) to recover and rebuild their lives.

A new £6million fund will support a third round of the Mayor’s VAWG Grassroots Fund, providing thousands of the most vulnerable victims and survivors of all forms of VAWG with access to legal advice, counselling and other key services through local community organisations.

The VAWG Grassroots Fund has already directly supported 57 organisations and over 56,800 women and girls and families from minoritised communities through its first two rounds of funding. This new investment will enable thousands more Londoners to benefit from targeted support. It is part of the Mayor’s dedicated action to support local community organisations working with women and girls from Black, Asian and minority-ethnic communities and other underrepresented groups.

Too often, the on-going cost-of-living crisis makes it more difficult for survivors of domestic abuse to rebuild their lives, forcing them into debt and in some cases to stay with their abusers. Financial independence offers women and girls the freedom to live life on their own terms and the opportunity to rebuild their confidence and sense of self, as well as reducing the risk of re-victimisation.

That’s why the Mayor is also announcing an additional £3million investment, which will be used to design and commission a new specialist service to help victims and survivors to improve their skills and remove barriers to employment so they can become financially independent of their abusers – breaking the cycle of coercive control, financial and physical abuse.

To mark this year’s International Women’s Day on Sunday, the giant screens at Outernet London in Tottenham Court Road will display a poignant message from the Mayor, calling on everyone to champion, believe and respect all women today and every day. This comes at a time when misogyny continues to be allowed to be spread on social media platforms, with automated bots and influential personalities profiteering from images and posts aimed at attacking and degrading women. 

The funding announced today is on top of a record £277m of investment the Mayor has already overseen to tackle VAWG, address waiting lists and keep doors open for vital specialist support services for victims and survivors. The Mayor has announced he will be launching a refreshed strategy to tackle violence against women and girls, this spring.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Supporting victims and survivors to rebuild their lives and protecting them from abuse is at the heart of my work to tackle violence against women and girls and keep all Londoners safe.

“That’s why today, I’ve set out an additional £9million to deliver more support for survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence.  Our work with women’s refuges across the capital has highlighted how too often victims and survivors are forced to return to abusive situations because of debt and financial dependence. A new specialised service I am funding will now help women and girls build skills and get jobs.

“A new round of my VAWG Grassroots Fund will also ensure survivors can access vital support including legal advice, counselling and other key services to help rebuild their lives. I'm determined to build on our collective efforts to tackle violence against women and girls, as we work to build a safer London for everyone.”

London’s Victims Commissioner, Andrea Simon, said: “Access to specialist support services is often a lifeline for victims of violence against women and girls. Key to tackling this epidemic of abuse is working together across society to ensure that survivors, especially those from more marginalised communities, have access to the support they need.

“I look forward to working with the Mayor, the Met, grassroot charities, and partners across London to ensure victims of VAWG related crimes are provided with the highest levels of service as they navigate some of the most difficult times in their lives.” 

Deputy Mayor of London for Policing & Crime, Kaya Comer-Schwartz, said: “As Deputy Mayor, I am determined to do everything we can to protect the most vulnerable and marginalised victims and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence.

“Our VAWG Grassroots Fund has already delivered life saving work to women and their families across London and I am delighted we can commit to a third round of support to help thousands more women in need.

“For some women, the cost of living, debt, economic independence, and a lack of confidence and skills, can force them to remain in extremely vulnerable situations. So I am particularly pleased we will now embark on a new programme to trial different approaches - such as employment training and educational opportunities - to help keep them safe from violence and abuse and support them to recover and rebuild their lives.”

Nahar Choudhury, Chief Executive of Solace Women’s Aid at Solace, said: “We know that fleeing an abusive partner can be the hardest thing a woman ever does. We also know that, in many cases, perpetrators use economic abuse to maintain control and limit a survivor’s ability to leave. If a survivor has to flee suddenly, it can mean leaving her job, house and access to bank accounts behind. 

“Through advocacy and one-to-one support, our frontline staff help women navigate systems such as employment services, debt advice and access to safe housing so they can rebuild their lives. 

“Solace also delivers holistic support such as counselling, legal advocacy and practical guidance that empowers survivors to regain control of their finances and move towards long-term independence.” 

A domestic abuse survivor, who was supported through the Mayor's VAWG Grassroots Fund to take a copywriting and marketing course said: "I couldn’t believe it, I was finally getting trained (and taken seriously) for something I actually love doing. Now I’ve got a paid part-time role in a marketing firm and I’ve launched my own boutique copywriting business”