The women’s centre is the second to be opened in Kent by Advance, a national women’s organisation supporting women and girls who’ve experienced trauma through domestic abuse and the criminal justice system.
The opening was attended by representatives from partners of Advance, including domestic abuse charity Sateda, Mental Health Matters, drug and alcohol support service Forward Trust, Probation and Downview and East Sutton Park prisons.
Advance has had a women’s centre in Canterbury for four years, supporting more than 400 women, most of whom will have committed non-violent offences.
At least 60% of these women will have been victims of domestic abuse, and many of their crimes are directly linked to that abuse. For example, they’ve shoplifted food or nappies because their abuser is controlling every penny coming into the house.
The new Maidstone centre will enable Advance to help even more women recover and rehabilitate from the criminal justice system and domestic abuse. Diverting them away from crime and supporting them to be valuable members of their community.
Amy Dennison, Service Manager for Advance’s Criminal Justice Service in Kent, said:
“Our hope is that this will become a safe space for the women who need us. We are so looking forward to working with all the Local Services and hopefully expanding our support.”
Janie, a woman supported by Advance’s Kent services, said:
“Advance’s women’s centre in Canterbury was definitely a space where I felt able to do that. I honestly have received more support from this centre than I have from anyone connected to me.”
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
- Advance’s specialist advocates work in partnership with 11 local and national women’s service providers, alongside statutory services to provide services within women’s communities across the 6 regions of Hampshire, Kent, Thames Valley, Essex, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshire.
- Through our woman-centred approach, we aim to prevent the cycle of re-offending, tackling issues such as lack of consistent housing and homelessness, domestic abuse and sexual violence, mental health, emotional well-being, parenting and family relationships, education training and employment, finance, benefits, and debt.
About Advance
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- Advance’s vision is a world in which women and children lead safe, just and equal 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
