Council to award £170k-a-year contract for support of domestic abuse victims in Peterborough
Peterborough City Council is looking to commit £170,000 per year towards support for victims of domestic abuse.
The council’s ruling cabinet are recommended to approve the award of a contract to the Peterborough Women’s Aid charity at a meeting on December 16.
If approved, Peterborough Women’s Aid would provide support for victims of domestic abuse within a domestic abuse refuge or safe accommodation for a three-year period commencing on April 1, 2026, with an option of two one-year extension periods.
The total contract value would amount to £850,000 if the optional extension periods were exercised.
A report to be put before cabinet members stated: “This service is key to the delivery of the Safe Accommodation Strategy 2024-2027.
“The development of this strategy followed an extensive needs assessment and consultation with partners across Peterborough.
“This service will work with those who are at significant risk of serious harm outside of the city, and those at less risk but requiring accommodation in the city, who can stay locally if a safety plan is in place.”
It is anticipated that around 30 adults and 30 children subjected to domestic abuse would be supported each year from this service, subject to the availability of move on accommodation available.
In other news, poets and artists who have survived domestic abuse are invited to share their work for an anthology marking International Woman’s Day.
The project is being put together by domestic abuse survivor Charis, who is also contributing work herself.
Charis, who volunteers for Living Keys Charity, is working alongside Hayley from Peterborough Women’s Aid in conjunction with Peterborough City Council, to offer survivors the opportunity to put forward their written and artistic pieces.
The anthology called ‘The Art of Survival’ will be for survivors from across the UK and all work will be put forward for a competition for both poetry and art.
Peterborough City Council cabinet member for communities, poverty and public health, Cllr Zameer Ali, said: “Creative work can be a powerful platform for some people who have experienced terrible times in their lives, and we hope that this book will showcase that.
“It is dreadful that anyone would be a victim of domestic abuse and this work will perhaps show that people can move on to happier lives.”