A safe, just and equal world for women

Advance Hampshire Women’s Centre celebrates milestone

July 12, 2024
Advance’s Hampshire Women’s Centre has celebrated three years of providing vital support to women from across the county.

Woman cutting a cake. Above her is a balloon shaped as the number three. The centre, in Portsmouth, offers specialist support to women who are in contact with the criminal justice system, and who may also be experiencing or have experienced domestic abuse.

The 3rd birthday celebrations were attended by staff, women who use the centre, and representatives from partner services including Probation and Portsmouth City Council.

Charlotte Ferguson, Service Manager for Advance Hampshire Women’s Centre, said:
“It has been wonderful seeing the women’s centre continue to grow and to build on our strong connections with local organisations. Thanks to the support of NHS Solent, we’re able to hold regular sessions on sexual health and through Creatful we facilitate a weekly arts and crafts workshop at our centre.

We’ve also received a donation of laptops which will be so useful in helping our women access technology and allow us to run employment and education sessions.”

Helen Morris, Senior Probation Officer, South Central Women’s Strategic Lead, said:
“Visiting the Advance women’s centre in Portsmouth on their 3rd Birthday was lovely. As soon as I walk into their space, I feel the positivity and warmth. The staff provide essential services for the women supervised by Probation and the centre has really established itself as a calm, welcoming and peaceful place to meet other women and be supported.”
Katie Wood, Commissioning Contracts Officer with Public Health Portsmouth, was among the guests and talked about the vital collaboration between Advance, Portsmouth City Council, the Society of St James, and other partners.
“This collaborative work includes establishing a women-only service called Project W – Women empowering Women – an inclusive, welcoming safe space for Portsmouth women, that will run every Thursday from the Ambition Portsmouth office, 67 Kingston Road, from 10am til 4pm.

The service will give women an opportunity to get help and support with alcohol or substances, access to a family or recovery worker, and a weekly domestic abuse support group.

Future plans include a monthly women’s health, nurse-led clinic, offering family planning, Long-Acting contraception, breast awareness, pregnancy testing and HRT information and support. The aim of the health clinic is to reach women that might not access routine health services,”

Here’s to many more birthdays for this essential resource for Hampshire women.

Media enquiries

For more information, please contact Tracie Couper, Press Officer at Advance, at tracie.c@advancecharity.org.uk or on 0743 2700 287.

Notes to the editor 
About Advance
  • Advance’s vision is a world in which women and children lead safe, equal, violence-free lives so that they can flourish and actively contribute to society. The charity works with women who experience domestic abuse to be safe and take control of their lives, and women who have committed crime or are at risk of offending to break the cycle.
  • As well as providing direct support, Advance works with statutory services, government agencies and other women’s charities to ensure a holistic approach to the issues these women face.
  • Women must be referred to Advance, via statutory services or the charity’s self-referral scheme. For more information about who Advance is able to support, please visit Get help 
  • For facts and statistics about domestic abuse and women in the criminal justice system, as well as Advance’s work, please visit Our impact 

 

Woman smiling next to table with cake. Above her is a balloon shaped as the number three.
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