Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic it has been well documented that in many cases the national lockdowns have resulted in experiences of domestic abuse worsening; calls to domestic abuse helplines surging; and the pressure being put on women’s refuges increasing. The cumulative impact of this is victims continue to find themselves in hopeless situations, with abusive behaviour intensifying at the same time as options for escape becoming more difficult to realise.
Despite short term funding being made available to refuges, the reality on the ground is that many continue to face funding shortages and spaces available for those seeking refuge have reduced. For example, during the first national lockdown in 2020, it has been reported that there was a 42% reduction in the number of refuge vacancies made available compared to the same period in 2019.* However, the need for those spaces has only increased, with many victims and their children now being housed in temporary accommodation such as hotels and B&Bs. Clearly, any alternative accommodation which provides a place of safety for victims is welcomed but as we move out of the covid crisis, the focus will inevitably shift back to traditional refuges – the concern remains that adequate funding, vacancies and resources simply aren’t available to meet the need.
The Chancellor announced in the Budget earlier this month that an additional £19m of funding will made available over the next two years, with the majority of this being allocated to programmes working with perpetrators in a bid to reduce the risk of reoffending. This is undoubtedly a welcome step towards a longterm plan. However, it is clear that right now, in the midst of this crisis, life-saving safe havens remain in short supply.
At the Buddy Bag Foundation, our aim remains to support those seeking refuge by providing children with a Buddy Bag at a time when they may not have anything else to call their own; and we are proud to have provided Buddy Bags to over 30,000 children in emergency care. As we moved through this crisis, we have worked hard to find solutions to new issues and have begun rolling out delivery of Buddy Bags to those victims housed in hotels and B&Bs too. During the course of 2021, we have now delivered 360 Buddy Bags to children currently seeking refuge in Birmingham hotels alone and hope to increase this number as we welcome more recipients to our scheme.
Founder and CEO of the Buddy Bag Foundation, Karen Williams OBE said: “We were so saddened to hear of the large number of victims and their children having to seek refuge in hotels and B&Bs. Our hope is that, by expanding delivery of our Buddy Bags to these additional centres, we will help to restore a sense of safety and security to even more vulnerable children at a time when every act of love is important to their recovery.”
Our Buddy Bags are age-specific and contain twelve essential items, including toiletries, underwear, a book and of course – a Buddy Bear. To find out how you can join the recipient scheme, donate or get involved, click here for more details.
*A Perfect Storm: The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Domestic Abuse Survivors and the Services Supporting Them (Women’s Aid, 2020)
