CC(3) DA12 - Supplementary information
Communities and Culture Committee
Scrutiny Inquiry : Domestic Abuse
Response from Brecknock Women’s Aid
Brecknock Women’s Aid
Ystradgynlais and Brecon Floating Support Projects
Pilot Mutual Support Group
21st April 2008
The Pilot Mutual Support Group was held in the Healthy Living Centre, Ystradgynlais and was advertised locally as follows:
Tea, coffee and cakes.
Free handouts including mugs, mouse mats, lip balms, pencils and rape alarms.
A short talk from the Credit Union about what they can offer local residents including: loans, Christmas saving schemes and budgeting advice.
An opportunity to let us know how you would like us to develop our services locally.
An opportunity to advertise/swap/give away good quality children’s items that you no longer need.
A free crèche to entertain your children.
9 women attended.
Of these 3 were existing or previous Floating Support service users and 5 were local women who were either still in existing abusive relationships or who had been in the past.
They made use of the services offered as follows:
All enjoyed a cuppa and a cake and the opportunity to share experiences with women in similar situations to themselves
All women were pleased to receive a selection of items advertising our service as well as mugs from the Credit Union
All found the talk from Credit Union informative and 2 women signed up to join, with the intention of making regular savings
2 women were able to give away a push chair and children’s clothing they no longer needed
1 small child used the crèche facilities
All the women said they had enjoyed the event and would like to attend regularly.
Their individual feedback on what they would most value from a Mutual Support Group is detailed below:
Monday mornings is great for me. I would like to see a clothes swap, talks and to arrange local trips for kids
I enjoyed getting out of the house for an hour and socialising. I would like there to be a raffle and days out.
Monday mornings would be good. Also training courses and studies please
We should all bring something and hold a raffle.
Yes I would come to regular coffee mornings. It was nice to meet other ladies who have experienced the same as me.
Yes I would like to see regular coffee mornings happening.
Yes I would like that to happen.
Maybe an over 50’s event.
Excellent idea to meet regularly. We could have a guest speaker, such as welfare rights or talks on impressive women from history such as Florence Nightingale, etc.
As an organisation supporting survivors of domestic abuse we believe that holding regular support group meetings would benefit our existing service users and the wider community in the following ways:
Increased awareness of the impact of domestic abuse within the community
Reduction in social isolation of affected families.
Reduction in the stigma attached to domestic abuse, which often prevents women seeking help and support.
Making friends and building support networks will encourage women to live independently, with the result that women will be less likely to return to abusive partners.
Opportunities to address specific issues such as debts, budgeting, safety, parenting, low self esteem, etc. which are frequently a symptom of living with domestic abuse.
Opportunities to ensure families moving into the area to escape domestic abuse are made aware of local leisure and health facilities and have access to education, training and work.
Families are likely to feel increasingly settled and supported within the community and consequently more enabled to maintain their tenancies in the long term.
Further feedback from our service users, on holding Mutual Support Group Meetings, was gathered during a recent Group Outing to Porth Cawl. Please see the attached sheet for further information.
