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Retail therapy: Shops help abused women
By Debbie Leigh SHOPPING is often seen as a self-indulgent, frivolous activity - but for one week in May retail therapy will have a serious side.
Victims of domestic violence are set to benefit from the first Leeds Shopping Week, which has picked Leeds Women's Aid as its chosen charity.
The organisation has been providing women and their children with a temporary refuge for 34 years and has housed 7,000 women - and 11,000 children - desperate to get away from an abusive partner.
Leeds Shopping Week, which features activities including pampering sessions, a fashion show and a lingerie show, will raise cash for children's play equipment at the charity's safe houses.
Rosie Robinson, director of Leeds Women's Aid, said: "We were absolutely delighted to find out we had been chosen.
"Leeds Shopping Week is aimed primarily at women and because we are an organisation that helps women and children experiencing violence and abuse it fits really well.
"One in four women will at some point be affected by domestic violence. That is one in four women in Leeds - whether they shop at Harvey Nichols or in the market.
"We are an emergency service. The refuge can literally be a lifeline, given that here in the UK two women die every week as a result of domestic violence."
Leeds Women's Aid was founded in 1972 by feminists concerned that there was no provision in the city for women and children experiencing violence at home.
It receives half its funding from the Government, via Leeds City Council, and the rest from rent and fundraising by large charitable trusts as well as businesses and individuals.
Its new 1 million refuge, comprising 10 self-contained apartments, opened in March last year - thanks to a 900,000 Government grant plus cash from fundraising.
And at any one time it has 29 women and up to 50 children living in its refuges or safe houses across the city, which provide a base on which they can rebuild their lives before moving on.
Leeds now has one of only 10 refuges nationally that is fully accessible for disabled users.
The service also runs a support scheme to help women stay in their own homes, teaming up with solicitors and the courts to ensure they do not have to keep moving.
Pregnancy
The charity has an outreach service to help women in A&E at Leeds General Infirmary and St James's Hospital, as well as in the ante-natal care unit - because domestic violence often starts or escalates during pregnancy.
"Most of us think that during pregnancy women are cherished and protected but the statistics say otherwise," said Rosie Robinson.
"Midwives now routinely ask women at ante-natal classes whether they have ever experienced domestic violence. So we are protecting children and unborn children here in Leeds."
Contemporary jewellery store Azendi, in the Victoria Quarter, has pledged to give half its takings on the first day of Leeds Shopping Week to Leeds Women's Aid.
And a raffle at the Strut Fashion Show in the Corn Exchange on Thursday, May 25, will also raise cash for the charity.
Leeds Shopping Week will take place from Monday, May 22, to Tuesday, May 30.
l Leeds Women's Aid helpline (until midnight): 0113 246 0401.
l National freephone 24-hour helpline: 0808 2000 247.
debbie.leigh@ypn.co.uk
Factfile
Domestic violence
l Last year 394 women rang Leeds Women's Aid asking for information, help and support, and
546 women asked to stay at one of their safe houses/refuges.
l The charity was only able to house 95 of them, with 196 children, but found places in other refuges for those they couldn't help.
l Police figures show incidents of domestic violence in Leeds rose from 7,850 between April 2000 and March 2001 to 12,208 in the year 2004/5. To February this year there had been more than 10,000.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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