Women and children suffering violence and abuse continue to face risks and barriers to access help. We are committed to our mission of saving and changing lives, by supporting women and girls who suffer domestic abuse to be safe and take control of their lives, and those involved in or at risk of offending to break the cycle of harm to them and their families.
Last year, over 7,000 women and children were referred to our services for support. With social distancing and self isolation in place, as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak, many women and children will face increased risk of abuse and violence, and will find accessing support even harder.
In line with government advice and in response to this public health emergency, Advance and our partners across services have had to adapt the way we work, to ensure help continues to be available to every woman and child that need support.
Do you need help?
Our Domestic Abuse Helplines, for those experiencing domestic abuse, sexual violence and other forms of gender violence are open and can be accessed as before. Our staff are now working remotely, responding to calls and emails, aiming to limit any disruption.
Our Minerva helpline for women and girls involved in the criminal justice system is also open. We offer support to those who, recently or in the past, have had a conviction or caution, and need to access practical and emotional support, by emailing admin_minerva@advance.org.uk
Our Women Centres and Groups, are suspended until further notice, for public health reasons and in line with government advice. We are working with our colleagues and partners to offer alternatives to be accessed remotely and will publish updates here.
Are you referring someone?
If you are a professional, including the Police, Social Care, Housing, Health, Probation and other partner agencies, and are referring someone to our services, you can find details on how to contact us.