Charity of the year 2023-2024

Each year the ISSBA committee selects a charity to support for the year ahead. This year we are delighted to announce that we will be supporting Lighthouse Women's Aid.

Who are they and what do they do?

Lighthouse Women’s Aid is a charitable organisation based in Suffolk, providing support and advice to adults, young people and children affected by domestic abuse in their personal or family relationships.

How do they provide that support?

Lighthouse have been providing safe emergency accommodation in Ipswich since 1976. The refuge has 15 rooms available for women and their children feeling domestic abuse.

Refuge staff work alongside women to support them to make informed choices about their housing, benefits and financial options. Staff also support them to access other professional support such as legal, medical and debt advice.

Lighthouse has a dedicated children’s team to support mums and children as they settle into the refuge. This includes access to schools, nurseries and clinics, childcare, advice, play and individual support.

Refuge staff will endeavour to support women and their children to recover from the traumatic effects of domestic abuse and prepare them to live independently and safely in the future.

When women staying in the refuge are ready to move on Lighthouse can provide resettlement support to help with the transition of moving into their own home.

At the Women’s Centre, also offered is a range of advice, therapeutic courses and services to support women, young people and children to rebuild their lives free from domestic abuse. These include The Freedom Programme, Power To Change, Who’s In Charge, and supportive drop in groups for the women. Some of the courses available to young people and children are Escape The Trap, Reconnect and Play, Reconnect Together, also offered are one to one sessions.

Externally Lighthouse provides training services to businesses, agencies and charities around domestic abuse awareness and Trauma Informed Practice, for those organisations that want to have an open and supportive culture for those affected by domestic abuse. Finally, healthy relationship education is delivered via schools/colleges to help young people and children understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships with their family, friends, teachers etc.

Sally Winston, CEO said “We are extremely grateful to you all for choosing Lighthouse as your Charity of the Year and look forward to working with you all over the coming year. Thank you very much”

Visit https://www.lighthousewa.org.uk/ to find out more about what they offer or how you can get involved.