1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime and 60% of women involved in the criminal justice system will have experienced some form of abuse, often directly related to their offending.

Advance exist to help women navigate their journey to recovery after these experiences.

Advance’s women’s centre in Hammersmith is a safe place for women and girls to rest, recover and rebuild their lives after experiencing trauma. We offer emotional and practical support, helping women to feel safe, get on top of debt, find accommodation and rediscover their confidence. However, it’s currently challenging for women with additional mobility needs to access the space as our entrances and facilities are out of date. With this funding, we’ll refurbish the centre to make it fully accessible so we can welcome all women and make them feel safe and valued when in the centre.

The project will have a number of benefits. Importantly, it will enable more women to access practical and emotional support from Advance’s Women’s Centre and rebuild their lives after the trauma of domestic abuse or the criminal justice system.

Once at the centre, women can join group activities such as art, poetry and creative writing which all help to rediscover themselves and their talents and go on to achieve goals and aspirations.

In addition, the opportunity to connect in person with others who have had similar experiences can help build friendships and communities which is so important after isolating experiences of abuse and criminalisation.

Thank you for joining with us to make this happen for women and girls in Hammersmith & Fulham.