UPDATE ON WEYMOUTH WOMEN'S REFUGE

Speech delivered on Fri 30th Apr 2010

Your misleading headline yesterday entirely misrepresents the successful hard work that is going on to keep a refuge in Weymouth - and its very strong options for the future.

The Domestic Violence Forum, which is chaired by Mary Watson, has been successful in setting up a fundraising arm and securing generous funding from local businesses and is the beneficiary of sponsorship from an individual who is donating her proceeds from the London marathon.

The forum have just secured the support of nationally renowned campaigner Erin Pizzy who started the refuge movement.

Cllrs Gill Taylor & Ian Roebuck have succeeded in getting the future of the building secured and funding from the borough kept in place. A business plan and constitution have been drawn up.

Ros Kayes is negotiating the support of Dorchester refuge & is working hard to provide staff and the funding for a freedom programme for victims of domestic violence in the interim before the refuge opens again. She is also working hard with housing associations & charities with a purpose to a combined take over which would see the refuge leased by a housing association, & managed and run by charities.

The building has NOT closed - it is open until the end of June with a telephone support service. The County Council have dismissed all but two of the the staff - but we are well on the way to providing renewed refuge provision again.