Rises in domestic abuse cases across London has led to a boost in funds for frontline charities working with survivors in the Eastlondonlines areas.

The charities will receive a share of £8.1 million in national government funding to continue their life-saving work supporting survivors during the coronavirus crisis. This money will help fund accommodation spaces across East London, with charities operating across the Lewisham, Croydon, Hackney and Tower Hamlets boroughs.

The money comes after the Metropolitan Police said it was making an average of 100 arrests a day for domestic abuse offences during lockdown. According to the Met Police website cases of domestic abuse involving violence with injury across the Eastlondonlines boroughs between March and April this year were worst in Croydon (205, up 4% from the same time period last year), then Lewisham (162), Tower Hamlets (150) and Hackney (123) all of which saw similar increases from last year. However, many incidents of domestic abuse go unrecorded.

Of the 104 frontline charities given funding in the first round of allocation, the following operate within East London:

• Refuge
• Latin American Women’s Aid Refuge
• Hestia Housing and Support
• Bromley and Croydon Women’s Aid
• Housing for Women

Tamara White, area manager for Hestia’s domestic abuse refuges in East London, told Eastlondonlines: “What the funding will help with is, firstly, increasing our refuge space and capacity. We’ve brought on additional bed spaces as a result of Covid-19 because we know that demand has gone through the roof.”

White described how the lockdown created a “bed blocking” effect due to a delay in external services. 

“We had people who were ready to move on and free up an emergency bed space for someone else but were stopped from doing that because their move on plan was on hold. This funding will allow us to work more intensively with those people to get suitable options for them.” she said.

White was keen to emphasize that while the funding is welcome, other partner agencies in mental health, drug and alcohol services and housing services also need support and funding. 

The funding allocation opened a second round of applications on Friday June 5, and charities can apply until July 20 or until the funding has been exhausted. 

Since the Covid-19 lockdown began, demand for Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse helpline has spiked significantly, with calls to the helpline rising on average by 66% a week. The 24 hour helpline, run by Refuge, is 0808 2000 247, and you can visit www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk for further support.

Housing for Women are continuing fundraising during Covid-19 and their services remain open.

Zaiba Qureshi, CEO at Housing for Women, told ELL: “Women’s lives depend on us being able to keep our services running, and we are doing everything we can to do this safely given the current restrictions and government guidance”.

Luke Hall, the Homelessness Minister, said in a statement: “Protecting survivors is an absolute priority during these unprecedented times and beyond. The funding will give charities the vital lifeline they need to help people across England escape abuse and rebuild their lives, away from the threat of violence.”

Bromley and Croydon Women’s Aid, one of the East London charities awarded funding, offer specialist advice to LGBT+ victims of domestic abuse on their helpline, 02083139303.

Over a third of the charities receiving funding nationally offer specialist services to marginalised groups such as BAME, LGBT+ and disabled survivors of domestic abuse. 

Research by Stonewall shows that 1 in 4 lesbian and bi women suffer abuse in a relationship, nearly 50% of gay men experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, and nearly 80% of trans people have experienced some form of emotional, sexual or physical abuse.

Another development during the lockdown has been the Safe Spaces project, which uses the consulting rooms of Boots, Superdrug, Morrisons and independent pharmacies for support and a safe place to call appropriate support services for those struggling to find a time or a place to reach out.