Refuge is a

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

charity Charity may refer to: Common meanings * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sha ...

providing specialist support for

women A woman is an adult female human. Before adulthood, a female child or adolescent is referred to as a girl. Typically, women are of the female sex and inherit a pair of X chromosomes, one from each parent, and women with functional u ...

and children experiencing

domestic violence Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...

. The organisation provides a national network of specialist services, including emergency refuge accommodation ( refuges),

community outreach A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geog ...

, independent domestic violence advocacy (IDVAs), culturally specific services and a team of child support workers. Refuge also runs the

Freephone A toll-free telephone number or freephone number is a telephone number that is billed for all arriving calls. For the calling party, a call to a toll-free number is free of charge, unless air-charges apply for mobile telephone service. A toll-free ...

24-Hour National Domestic Abuse

Helpline A helpline, or switchboard, is a telephone service which offers help to those who call. Many helpline services now offer more than telephone support - offering access to information, advice or customer service via telephone, email, web or SMS. ...

. The National Domestic Abuse Helpline specialises in supporting women, but will support other genders including men, especially out of hours. The organisation was founded in 1971 by activist

Erin Pizzey Erin Patria Margaret Pizzey (; born 19 February 1939) is a British men's rights activist and novelist known for her advocacy on behalf of both men's and women's rights and for her work against domestic violence. She is recognized for founding ...

. It's safe house in

Chiswick Chiswick ( ) is a district in West London, split between the London Borough of Hounslow, London Boroughs of Hounslow and London Borough of Ealing, Ealing. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist Wi ...

, West

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

was the first of its kind. Refuge remains the largest domestic violence organisation in the United Kingdom. On any given day, Refuge's services supports thousands of women and children. The charity says it is committed to working towards a world where women and children can live in safety, free from fear. No services are provided for men.

History

opened the modern world's first refuge for women and children escaping domestic violence, in

, west

, in 1971. In 1979, the organisation became a

registered charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definitio ...

, changing its name from Chiswick Women's Aid to Chiswick Family Rescue. In 1993, the charity changed its name to Refuge, reflecting its growing national status. This followed a funding crisis in 1992 when the charity faced closure, before Sandra Horley made a personal appeal to

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William, ...

who made a donation and several private visits to the charity's shelters, raising its profile. In 1997, three of the charity's trustees resigned in a controversy over one of their number's links to a group associated with

false memory syndrome In psychology, false memory syndrome (FMS) was a proposed "pattern of beliefs and behaviors" in which a person's identity and relationships are affected by false memories of psychological trauma, recollections which are strongly believed by the i ...

Exiling of Founder

Pizzey has been the subject of

boycotts A boycott is an act of nonviolent resistance, nonviolent, voluntary abstention from a product, person, organisation, or country as an expression of protest. It is usually for Morality, moral, society, social, politics, political, or Environmenta ...

due to her reaching conclusions that conflict with Refuge's mission as an organization dedicated to women and children. Pizzey concluded that most

is reciprocal and that women are as capable of violence as men .The escalation of these boycotts into threats is what eventually led to her

exile Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...

from the UK. Pizzey has claimed that the threats were from militant feminists. She is now banned from Refuge.

Activities

Refuge provides a national network of refuges across 15 local authority areas in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. Refuge also provides a number of other services, including Community Outreach and Independent Domestic Violence Advocacy services, and runs the Freephone 24 Hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247. Refuge also seeks to raise awareness of domestic violence and challenge negative social attitudes. It also responds to key policy consultations and debates, ensuring that the voices and needs of abused women and children are reflected in national legislation.

Campaigns

Refuge runs campaigns to raise awareness of domestic violence and reach out to women and children who experience domestic violence. In 1999,

Sheryl Gascoigne Sheryl Gascoigne (née Failes; born 24 September 1963) is a British television personality and author. She is the former wife of footballer Paul Gascoigne and the mother of glamour model Bianca Gascoigne. Her television career includes a prese ...

supported Refuge's campaign 'It's a Matter of Life and Death'. She had recently divorced footballer

Paul Gascoigne Paul John Gascoigne (, born 27 May 1967), nicknamed Gazza, is an English former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Regarded as one of the best playmakers of his generation and one of the best English footballers of ...

following her experience of domestic violence at his hands. In 2008, Refuge created an advertising campaign designed to raise awareness of the warning signs of domestic violence, highlighting the statistic that two women are killed every week by current or former partners in England and

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. The campaign was based on a

YouGov YouGov plc is a international Internet-based market research and data analytics firm headquartered in the UK with operations in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. History 2000–2010 Stephan Shakespeare and Nadhim ...

survey showing that young women lack awareness of the techniques used by violent men to control women. In 2009, Refuge conducted a high-profile awareness raising campaign titled Four Ways To Speak Out in partnership with the cosmetics company

Avon Products Avon Products, Inc. ( ) is an Anglo-American multinational company selling cosmetics, skin care, perfume, and personal care products. It is a multi-level marketing company based in London. In 2020, Avon had annual sales of $9.1 billion worldwid ...

. The campaign was supported by a number of families whose loved ones had been killed as a result of domestic violence. In 2012, Refuge launched an online video campaign called ''Don't Cover It Up'', with popular make-up artist

Lauren Luke Lauren Luke (born 8 December 1981) is an English YouTube personality who became known for creating make-up tutorials on Panacea81, one of the most popular channels during the early years of YouTube. Early life Luke was born in South Shields in ...

. The video was designed to raise awareness of the fact that many women who experience domestic violence keep it hidden. The video has been viewed over 2.3 million times to date and won numerous awards including the coveted

Creative Circle The Creative Circle (also known as The Advertising Creative Circle or The Advertising Creative Circle of Great Britain) is an educational awards body dedicated to creativity in British advertising, and the oldest advertising and marketing awards ...

Gold of Golds award. In 2013, Refuge launched a campaign calling on the Government to open a public inquiry into the response of the police and other state agencies to victims of domestic violence. The campaign was backed by the family of Maria Stubbings, who was murdered by her ex-partner in 2008. An investigation by the

Independent Police Complaints Commission The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) was a non-departmental public body in England and Wales responsible for overseeing the system for handling complaints made against police forces in England and Wales. On 8 January 2018, th ...

in 2013 found that

Essex Police Essex Police is a territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Essex, in the East of England. Essex Police is responsible for a population of over 1.8 million people and an area of . The chief constable is Ben-Julian Harring ...

made a series of failings in their response to Maria.

Research

Refuge undertakes research into the effects of domestic violence and issues surrounding service provision for abused women and children. In 2011, Refuge and the

NSPCC The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is a British child protection charity founded as the Liverpool Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (LSPCC) by Thomas Agnew on 19 April 1883. The NSPCC lobbies t ...

, funded by the

City Bridge Trust City Bridge Foundation is the working name of the historic Bridge House Estates, which originated in the late eleventh century and was formally established by royal charter in 1282 by the City of London Corporation in London, England. It is a reg ...

, produced a report on the services for children living with domestic violence in London. Together with the charity

Respect Respect, also called esteem, is a positive feeling or deferential action shown towards someone or something considered important or held in high esteem or regard. It conveys a sense of admiration for good or valuable qualities. It is also th ...

, Refuge has produced a domestic abuse resource manual for employers. This resource is designed to help employers and human resources professionals respond to employees who are victims or perpetrators of abuse. In 2011, Refuge and Respect published an evaluation of the resource manual after piloting it with a county council. In 2010, Refuge conducted a scoping study into the experience of forced marriage of women from

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

ern and North East African communities. In 2009, Refuge produced a report titled 'Starting in School' as a result of a

survey exploring young women's attitudes and knowledge of the warning signs of domestic violence. In 2008, Refuge released a study into the impacts of financial abuse on women and children experiencing domestic violence. In 2005, Refuge produced a report on assessment and intervention for pre-school children exposed to domestic violence. It identifies ways to support young children and help them overcome their experiences.

Funding

In 2010, Refuge had an income of £10,284,785. The funding is mostly from United Kingdom taxpayers via the

Home Office The Home Office (HO), also known (especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament) as the Home Department, is the United Kingdom's interior ministry. It is responsible for public safety and policing, border security, immigr ...

and local councils. In 2009, a member of staff received over £190,000 p.a. with employer pension contributions to the highest paid staff of over £70,000.

Patrons

Patrons of the charity include

Cherie Booth Cherie, Lady Blair (; born 23 September 1954), also known professionally as Cherie Booth, is an English barrister and writer. She is the spouse of former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair. Early life and education Booth was born ...

Patrick Stewart Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor. With a career spanning over seven decades of Patrick Stewart on stage and screen, stage and screen, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Patrick Stewart, variou ...

Jo Brand Josephine Grace Brand (born 23 July 1957) is an English actress, comedian, presenter and writer. Starting her entertainment career with a move from psychiatric nursing to the alternative comedy stand-up scene and early performances on '' Satur ...

Helena Kennedy Helena Ann Kennedy, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws (born 12 May 1950), is a Scottish barrister, Television presenter, broadcaster, and Labour Party (UK), Labour member of the House of Lords. She was Principal (academia), Principal of Mansfield Col ...

and

Fiona Bruce Fiona Elizabeth Bruce (born 25 April 1964) is a British journalist, newsreader and television presenter. She joined the BBC as a researcher for their current affairs programme ''Panorama'' in 1989, and became the first female newsreader on ' ...

Sir Patrick Stewart

In 2007, English actor

was appointed a patron of Refuge, having witnessed his mother experience violence from his father as a child. In October 2011, Stewart presented a BBC Lifeline appeal for Refuge and interviewed a woman whose daughter had been killed by an abusive ex-partner. In May 2013, while answering fans' questions at Comicpalooza, Stewart spoke about his work with Refuge in response to a fan asking what he was most proud of outside of acting. In September 2014, writing in the ''

New Statesman ''The New Statesman'' (known from 1931 to 1964 as the ''New Statesman and Nation'') is a British political and cultural news magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first c ...

'', Stewart backed Refuge's campaign for a public inquiry into the police and state response to domestic violence. In December 2014 Stewart backed Refuge's fundraising appeal to keep its refuge service in

Stratford-Upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon ( ), commonly known as Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon (district), Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of Engl ...

open, commenting: "It is no exaggeration to say that services like this save lives. Behind the walls of these extraordinary houses, specialist staff help women and children to rebuild every aspect of their lives, helping them to stay safe from violent men, access health services, legal advocacy and immigration advice, as well as get back into work or education." Stewart has also expressed his support for Refuge in national news outlets on a number of occasions.

References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite news , last=Daly , first=Emma , title=Women from a broken home? , date=22 May 1997 , work=The Independent, url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women-from-a-broken-home-1262770.html , access-date=5 January 2010 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420232120/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women-from-a-broken-home-1262770.html , archive-date=20 April 2012 , url-status=live , location=London {{cite news , last=Julia , first=Stuart , title=My Week: Sheryl Gascoigne Former Wife of Paul Gascoigne , date=27 November 1999 , work=The Independent, url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/my-week-sheryl-gascoigne-former-wife-of-paul-gascoigne-1129000.html , access-date=5 January 2010 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105205437/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/my-week-sheryl-gascoigne-former-wife-of-paul-gascoigne-1129000.html , archive-date=5 November 2012 , url-status=live , location=London {{cite web , title=35 years of Refuge , date=n.d. , publisher=Refuge , url=http://refuge.org.uk/about-us/refuges-35th-birthday/35-years-of-refuge/ , access-date=5 January 2010 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108081525/http://refuge.org.uk/about-us/refuges-35th-birthday/35-years-of-refuge/ , url-status=dead , archive-date=8 November 2012 {{cite web , title=History , date=n.d. , publisher=Refuge , url=http://refuge.org.uk/about-us/who-we-are/history/ , access-date=5 January 2010 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091227201426/http://refuge.org.uk/about-us/who-we-are/history/ , url-status=dead , archive-date=27 December 2009

External links

Refuge
Charities based in London Domestic violence-related organizations Organizations established in 1971 1971 establishments in the United Kingdom