The Bloom hub officially opened on Friday at Advance’s East London Women’s Centre and will provide a safe and welcoming place for young women and girls aged 13-25.
The hub has been developed in direct response to listening to girls and young women who access a mentoring programme delivered by Advance and funded through London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU). They wanted an open and safe space in the crucial after school period and at weekends to be with friends, and to get support and advice from mentors.
Serving as a ‘one-stop shop’, the hub will offer one-to-one support, access to specialist partners, peer mentors, and group activities co-designed with the young women.
It’s a space where they can come in for a hot drink, snack and a safe place to meet peers and have a chat. They can hang out quietly, do their homework, and be in an environment where they feel comfortable and safe.
Dali Kaur, Advance’s Director of YWG and Criminal Justice Services, said:
“What individual young women and girls turn to the hub for will vary depending on how they’re feeling and what is going on in their lives. It might be just somewhere to hang out and chat with peers, or it could be that it’s somewhere they feel safe to disclose any form of abuse.”
Lib Peck, Director of London’s Violence Reduction Unit, said:
“The Stratford Young Women and Girls Hub is a new dedicated space in East London that has been developed by young people through our mentoring programme with Advance.
“It provides girls and young women with a space where they feel safe, supported, and somewhere they can build friendships. It meets them where they want to be and crucially provides access to trusted mentors who we know can provide life-changing support when young people need it most.”
A girl who attended the event said:
Data shows that between October 2024 and February 2025, Advance has received more than 1,000 referrals. Of these:
- 33% of girls referred to the service had been a victim of a sexual offence.
- 32% had been a victim of a violent crime.
- 20% had been a victim of stalking and harassment.
The celebratory launch of the Stratford YWG Hub was attended by Lib Peck, Director of the Mayor of London’s Violence Reduction Unit which was established in 2019.
Also at the launch were representatives from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC); Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster City Council; London Probation Service; the Home Office; University of East London students; charities including Refuge, Centre for Young Lives, Transformation Powerhouse, Catch22, Fight for Peace and Exit Foundation.
In the afternoon, the hub welcomed young women and girls and their families for some relaxation, fun and goodie bags.
Future plans for the hub include onsite homework tutors and nearby childcare provision for young women who are parents and struggle to access support due to the lack of childcare.
The Stratford YWG hub builds on the services Advance, a charity that supports women who have experienced trauma through domestic abuse and the criminal justice system, already offers in East London, through its Minerva CJS services.
Notes to Editor
London’s VRU funds Advance to deliver the MAIA and LIFT mentoring programme.
It:
- Supports girls and young women aged 9-25
- Is delivered in 8 boroughs
- Supports girls and young women who have one or more risk factors, including; Domestic abuse, mental ill-health, deprivation, alcohol and drug use, risk of becoming NEET, risk of exploitation and/or risk of contact with the criminal justice system
- Is delivered in partnership by Advance, Chance UK, Working Chance and The Woman’s Trust: a partnership with expertise in children’s services, VAWG, employability and mental health.
Advance’s work with young women and girls
Advance provides specialist support to families and children from 5 years old, and girls and young women from 13 to 24 years old affected by experiences of domestic abuse, through our co located Social Care Independent Domestic Abuse Advocates, working together with Children’s Services, as well as through our specialist Children & Young Women’s advocates.
Advance also supports women and young women aged 15 years old and over in contact or at risk of contact with the Criminal Justice System, who are often victims of abuse and violence themselves. This includes specialist support for young women and girls aged 15-24 delivered by Minerva Young Women’s Keyworkers.
To find out more, visit Young Women and Girls Services
