60 BACKPACKS FOR ‘BACK TO SCHOOL’ CONFIDENCE FOR CHILDREN AFFECTED BY DOMESTIC ABUSE
Community donations provide classroom essentials for families supported by The Haven Wolverhampton, a Women’s Aid organisation and the city’s leading provider of domestic abuse services
60 backpacks filled with back-to-school essentials including water bottles and stationery, along with shopping vouchers and money donations to purchase uniform, have been donated to children living in Wolverhampton who are affected by domestic abuse.
The donations are for The Haven Wolverhampton, a Women’s Aid organisation and the city’s leading domestic abuse charity, as part of its ‘Back To School’ appeal, which helps children affected by domestic abuse to feel more confident, like they belong, and ready to learn as they start a new school year.
The appeal also relieves the financial pressures on mothers who have been subjected to domestic abuse and are often left with very little or nothing to survive on. It is found that 95% of domestic abuse cases involve financial/economic abuse.*
The Haven Wolverhampton received gift-in-kind donations of the school essentials, as well as money and ASDA vouchers from individuals and organisations, including Fairway Healthcare, Embark Learning, Salisbury Poultry, Safran, Crafting for Communities CIC, and the radio presenter Bally Singh.
National law firm with a Wolverhampton branch, Davisons Law, also provided a drop off space for the donations. Two team members from Davisons Law supported with organising the items and packing the backpacks full of everything school children would need.
Receiving a backpack and classroom essentials provoked a heartfelt reaction from one child, who said, “What’s this? Really this is mine? This is for me?“, while another said, “The water bottle is cool!“
A mother, whose children received a bag, said, “Thank you so much, I was not expecting this. This has been so helpful for us“. Another woman said, ” Thank you for thinking of the children. They are happy and will have the right stationary for the last year in primary school.“
Anna Pendlebury, Head of Fundraising and Engagement, said: “Once again, we are so grateful for our community’s incredible response to our annual ‘Back To School’ appeal. We can provide every school-age child who is currently living in our safe accommodation with what they need to start school feeling more confident, and like many of their peers with the necessities ready to learn.
“For many women and children, fleeing domestic abuse means that they leave everything behind for their safety. Not only that – many have also been subjected to financial or economic abuse. Having very little can cause a lot of pressure for mothers when children need essentials for school. For child victims, they have already experienced so much trauma – and so not having what they need for school can cause them additional distress and leave them at further disadvantage.
“We are thrilled to hear the positive impact the appeal has made directly from the children and women, and we could not have done it without or community of individual and corporate supporters. We are so grateful – thank you to everyone who got involved, you really have made a huge difference to the lives of women and children.”
For those who want to support women and children affected by domestic abuse and who are supported by The Haven Wolverhampton, visit www.havenrefuge.org.uk/fundraising-for-us/ or email give@havenrefuge.org.uk.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, please call our free helpline on 08000 194 400.