Plymouth community groups tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the city can apply for grants of up to £5,000 thanks to new funding.
The £35,000 funding pot is available through a partnership between Plymouth City Council, Devon Community Foundation and the Sedel-Collings Foundation.
Councillor Sally Haydon, Cabinet Member for Community Safety at Plymouth City Council, said:
“The fund is an excellent initiative to offer to those who are working hard to keep women and girls safe.
“The fund forms part of our commitment for a safer Plymouth, and as partners working together in the city, we are committed to tackling violence against women and girls.
“We have so many incredible organisations in our city that already do some amazing work in tackling VAWG, we hope that the fund will offer more opportunities for others to join us.”
Councillor Zoe Reilly, Violence Against Women and Girls Champion for the city, said:
“This fund will help organisations promote cultural change around VAWG and DASV (domestic abuse and sexual violence), and work towards increasing the safety of women and girls in the city.
“It is vital that we continue to push this work forward. Let’s continue working together to tackle violence against women and girls.”
In recent years the tragic cases of Bobbi Anne McLeod, Kerry Power and the five victims of the Keyham shooting have all provided stark evidence of the need to take urgent action now.
In developing its strategy, Plymouth’s Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (DASV) Partnership Board drew on the accounts of more than 150 people with lived experience of VAWGDASV, as well as the knowledge and experience of agencies and organisations working in this field.
The board also commissioned a survey in Plymouth which found that 49 per cent of respondents had experienced some level of harm/abuse and/or inappropriate behaviour whilst at home. And nearly 40 per cent had experienced unwanted sexually explicit online comments, emails, messages or images.
This new funding is ring-fenced for community organisations whose work supports the Plymouth VAWGDASV strategy. This includes increasing the safety of women and girls in the city, support and services to adult and child survivors of VAWGDASV and interventions which engage with those who harm.
The fund is available through Devon Community Foundation’s Small Grants application process, which is open to grassroots organisations across Devon working to strengthen communities and tackle inequalities.
Laura Cameron Long, Head of Development and Philanthropy at Devon Community Foundation, said:
“We are only too aware of the devastating impact of violence against women and girls. Making Devon safer for women is everyone’s business, but as a mother of two young girls this issue feels particularly close to home. By matching Plymouth City Council’s fund with funding from the Sedel-Collings Foundation we have been able to create a larger pot of money to tackle this urgent issue in Plymouth.
“We hope that this funding will act as a pilot, helping us to attract further VAWGDASV funding for Plymouth and Devon as a whole. If anyone would like to speak to us about donating to this vital work we would be delighted to hear from them.”
Hayley Everett, Head of Fundraising and Communications at women and children’s charity Trevi, said:
“Funding initiatives to end violence against women and girls is not only a moral imperative but a societal investment. It ensures that survivors can access the support they need to heal, while also addressing the root causes of violence, creating safer communities, and breaking the cycle of abuse that perpetuates trauma across generations.”
Information on applying for a grant can be found here: Violence Against Women and Girls Fund - Devon Community Foundation (devoncf.com)