A new centre to offer people support, assistance and advice on dealing with all aspects of domestic abuse will take a step nearer completion on Thursday (11th March). Monmouthshire County Council will hand over the keys to a building in Abergavenny to Women’s Aid and Llamau. The building will open in June as a centre for people who suffer from domestic abuse.
Cllr Brian Hood, Monmouthshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Services, said:
“Domestic abuse can affect anyone – men, women, children – and we must do all we can to support its victims and combat its causes. This centre is an important step forward in supporting victims and will give them the opportunity to access a range of support organisations in one place. I am proud that we have been able to support this project so far and look forward to us working closely with our partners in making it a success.”
The centre will be managed by Llamau and Women’s Aid. They bought the building from Monmouthshire County Council with the support of a grant from the Welsh Assembly Government. The building will provide a safe and confidential environment for a wide range of support and services to help victims gain the knowledge they need to make safe and informed choice for themselves and their family.
“Stacey” (name changed), a survivor of domestic abuse said:
“My ex husband was very violent and frequently held a knife to my throat. On the last occasion he poured a can of petrol over me and kept lighting his cigarette lighter. I thought I was going to die. I received help from Women’s Aid, MIND and Victim Support. The support received was fantastic but I feel that if all the support agencies were working together under one roof it would be much easier for survivors to access support a lot quicker. Having survived horrendous domestic violence I know how important it is for victims to have immediate access to professional support services. I wish the new initiative every success.”
As well as Women’s aid and Llamau it is hoped that support, advice and open surgeries will be available from agencies such as Independent domestic abuse coordinator, Victim Support, Melin Homes, Monmouthshire Housing Association, Charter Housing, MCC supporting People, Homelessness Options Team, Gwent Police and local solicitors. The development of the centre will see drug and alcohol agencies, mental health, adult service, medication services and children services offering their services. And the Citizens’ Advice Bureau will continue to be based within the centre, offering the same levels of services as they have offered the community over the past 37 years to all members of the public
Frances Beecher, Llamau’s Chief Executive, said:
“When someone seeks help for domestic abuse, it is likely that they have been abused over a very long period of time. They need to be sure that they will receive all the support they need as quickly and effectively as possible. We are very excited to be working with Monmouthshire Women’s Aid to improve the quality of help available to anyone who finds themselves in this horrendous situation.”
