YMCA Bedfordshire Women's Refuges houses 22 women and their dependents and for many, Christmas has never been a time of happiness.

"Last Christmas is a blur. Just as the previous two years had been with every day filled with the dread of what I had done wrong & how I make everything a nightmare for everyone. Christmas just meant more dread & walking on egg shells whilst having to keep up appearances with visits to family. My only wish was that everything would stop but I didnt know what to do to make it stop. In June I left with my children & we started our new lives. Last week I got fairy lights to bring some Christmas in to our home, which my son now calls my real home. We draped them over the only picture we have hanging on the wall & turned off all the lights. We sat watching them in silence until we all started to giggle at the moment. It was then I realised I can be safe, happy & feel again Client S

From April 2015 - March 2016 in Central Bedfordshire alone, 3,200 domestic abuse incidents were reported to Bedfordshire Police. 50% of these reported children living at the home address.

Any donation you are able to make will go towards helping us provide the children in our care with an amazing party, with great food, DJ, games and gifts.

We'd like to take this opportunity too to thanks our friends at Watton Recruitment for their Christmas Gift Drive which helps us make sure each child and mum gets a personalised gift from Santa.