The Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley has awarded an additional £124,000 to charities and community interest companies to support them in helping victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence.
The Ministry of Justice emergency funding has been awarded to 18 organisations across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire to help manage the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic to enable them to continue to support the needs of victims.
This second round of emergency funding covers costs incurred and anticipated spending from 1st November – 31st March 2021. In the first round of funding in July, the PCC awarded £807,000 to 26 organisations.
Anthony Stansfeld, Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley said “Since the beginning of the pandemic, and with the aid of the first round of emergency funding, domestic abuse and sexual violence services have successfully adapted their support and continued to meet the needs of victims. However, the impact of Covid-19 continues to be felt across the Thames Valley with some organisations experiencing loss of fundraising income coupled with an increase in people seeking support.
“I am therefore delighted to be able to award this additional funding to help support organisations, and in turn victims, and to ensure that people who need support in the future are able to access it.”
Organisations will be using the funding to support a range of areas including training, frontline staffing costs for face-to-face and helpline support, PPE and cleaning supplies and emergency supplies for victims of domestic abuse including food, clothing, toiletries and travel costs.
