Kent & Medway: Domestic Abuse Support

 

Trigger Warning: Domestic abuse can lead to a person feeling like there is no escape and having suicidal thoughts. 30% of suspected suicides in Kent and Medway have domestic abuse as a factor (@KentPolice).

Support services are there for anyone experiencing abuse and can provide practical and emotional support including refuge, safe accommodation, specialist programmes and 1-2-1 help.

Find help and resources:

Domestic Abuse (domesticabuseservices.org.uk)

Mental health - Kent County Council

Every Mind Matters - Kent County Council

Information provided by South East HIVE Hub 

7th Sept 2025: National emergency alert test and guidance for victims of domestic abuse

There will be a test of the national emergency alert system on 07 September. This will come through to all mobile phones across the country. SafeLives have issued the following guidance for those who are victims of domestic abuse:

📢 A UK-wide emergency alert test will take place on Sunday 7th September 2025 at 3pm. Mobile phones will emit a loud siren and vibrate — even if they’re on silent.

Whilst these alerts aim to protect the public in emergencies, they could put victim-survivors of domestic abuse at risk — especially those who rely on hidden phones as part of their safety plan.

Please know, you CAN opt out of this test.

If you need to disable alerts for safety reasons, follow the steps here: Opting out of emergency alerts - GOV.UK

SafeLives: Service community domestic abuse - Welfare staff interviews request

SafeLives are also keen to speak with Army Welfare Officers and Unit Welfare Officers who have experience of supporting victim/survivors of domestic abuse. They want to understand your experiences of providing welfare support, and hear your views on the barriers victim/survivors from military families and relationships may face when trying to access help.

If you are interested in taking part in an interview, please scan the QR code on the poster to find out more.

Alternatively click on this link: Army Personnel ABF

SafeLives: Service community domestic abuse victims/survivors interviews request

Survivor Interviews

SafeLives, with support from the Army Benevolent Fund, is looking to improve the domestic abuse response for victim/survivors from serving and veteran families.

SafeLives want to hear directly from victim/survivors who have lived experience of domestic abuse in military families or relationships. Their voices are central to this work.

Victim/survivors who take part will also receive a £25 voucher as a thank you for their time.

If you are interested in taking part in an interview, please scan the QR code on the poster to find out more.

Alternatively click on this link: Survivor ABF

ACORN programme run by ManKind for male survivors of domestic abuse who are looking to move on to new relationships

 

Please click image to enlarge

This course has less that six months left to run, so please take full advantage of this opportunity.

ManKind ACORN programme

For more information please see link below:

https://mankind.org.uk/for-professionals/pattern-changing-course-male-survivors/

Dorset: Home Start support and friendships for families

 

Home-Start offers friendship, practical support and emotional advice in the homes of families who are having difficulties managing parenting for a variety of different reasons such poor mental health, post-natal depression, disability, domestic abuse, bereavement, isolation and multiple births.

Our mission is to give children the best possible start in life, by supporting parents so they grow in confidence, strengthening and enjoying their relationships with their children and widening their links with the local community.

For details of Home Start click HERE

Information provided by Bovington HIVE

Aurora New Dawn - Armed Forces Domestic Abuse, Sexual Violence and Stalking Helpline is now live

 

The new Aurora New Dawn Armed Forces Helpline for survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence and stalking is now live.

This Helpline is for any members of the Royal Navy British Army and Royal Air Force and their family members, including those deployed abroad, who are victims and survivors of Domestic Abuse, Sexual Violence or Stalking. 

The Helpline operates 6 days a week. It is independent, confidential, and free.

 

Launched on the 31st March 2025, and funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, and the Army Benevolent Fund the Helpline has already exceeded the number of contacts anticipated.

At Aurora, we understand that the Armed Forces Community is unique, and we know that service life brings with it a number of challenges which can make it harder to talk about these issues.

The Helpline has been designed with an understanding of these specific needs in mind. Many of our specialist team are from Forces families or are ex service personnel. They understand service life, and how difficult it can be to talk about what is happening.  We want to make sure that victim/survivors with links to the armed forces get specialist support that has been designed with them and for them.

Need help?

Get support from the Armed Forces Helpline via phone +44 (0)333 0912 527 (GMT): 0900-1500 Monday to Friday

Get support from the Armed Forces Helpline via WhatsApp on +44 (0)333 0912 527: Monday 0900-1500 / Wednesday & Thursday 1700-2000 / Sunday 1000-140

Aurora New Dawn: Athena Domestic Abuse Awareness & Recovery Programme – 3 Jun to 22 Jul

Aurora New Dawn’s Athena Domestic Abuse Awareness/Recovery Group is military specific and all online via zoom. This programme is for 8 weeks taking place on Tuesday evenings 3 Jun to 22 Jul, and is open to serving personnel and families worldwide.

Details of how to sign up are on the poster, and to find out more about Aurora New Dawn’s support to the Service community, please go to: https://www.aurorand.org.uk/armed-forces/

Grantham: Lincolnshire Domestic Abuse Specialist Service

The Lincolnshire domestic abuse support service (LDASS) 

This service offers improved assistance to Lincolnshire families experiencing domestic abuse.

If you are suffering from domestic abuse please call: 01522 510041. For urgent help, call 999.

Information provided by Grantham HIVE

 

Gloucestershire: Domestic abuse support

 

Need support? GDASS are here to help.

GDASS provides free, confidential advice and support to anyone in Gloucestershire experiencing domestic abuse. Whether you’re ready to leave, need safety planning, or just want someone to talk to, they're ready to listen.

• Call: 01452 726 570
• Email: support@gdass.org.uk
• Visit the website: www.gdass.org.uk

You’re not alone, and you don’t have to go through this on your own.

Information provided by Lyneham HIVE

Over £3.3 million awarded in latest round of Covenant Fund awards

Over £3.3 million awarded in latest round of Covenant Fund awards

The Armed Forces Covenant Trust (the Trust) is delighted to announce over £3.3 million has been awarded in the latest series of grants made under the Covenant Fund.

The Trust has supported a total of 34 fantastic projects across four different Covenant Fund programmes, all set to make significant improvements for Armed Forces communities across the UK.

• Service Women: Seen & Heard has awarded over £700K to eight projects tackling the underlying issues unique to serving women, providing improved access to support for their mental and physical health and wellbeing.
• Free From Fear has awarded just over £700K to five projects addressing domestic abuse through preventative measures or providing support routes for survivors in Armed Forces communities.
• Serving Families: On the Move has awarded just over £1M to 11 projects helping to improve the quality of life for Service families impacted by relocation.
• Embedding Prevention of Veteran Suicide has awarded just over £860K to 10 projects enabling systemic change and long-term, sustainable impact, building on the findings from the One is Too Many programme.

Domestic Abuse - Help is at hand

 

Click to enlarge.

HIVE also has an information sheet on Domestic Abuse support, which can be downloaded from the Information Sheets section of the Army HIVE UK Blog.

Wiltshire: 16 Days of Action against domestic abuse campaign

 

Do you know the signs of domestic abuse and stalking? What would you do if you were concerned that you, or someone you know is a victim?

The national campaign ‘16 Days of Action’ started on Monday 25 November and this year Wiltshire and Swindon are raising awareness of domestic abuse and stalking and how people can help if they think something isn’t right.

Wiltshire Council, Swindon Borough Council, Wiltshire Police, Office of Police and Crime Commissioner, Wiltshire’s commissioned domestic abuse support service, FearFree, Swindon’s commissioned domestic abuse support service, Swindon Paragon Domestic Abuse Service and charity Swindon Women’s Aid are all participating.

The organisations involved will be sharing information and case studies on social media on what people can do if they are concerned that they, or someone they know is a victim of domestic abuse or stalking.

Events are also taking place across the county including a White Ribbon event in Swindon on 25 November to raise awareness of violence against women and girls, and information stands at Chippenham and Swindon Christmas markets.

Click here to read more about the campaign in Wiltshire and Swindon

People who are experiencing domestic abuse can contact:

Wiltshire
FearFree call 01225 775276 or email spa@fearfree.org.uk
Out of hours helpline 01225 712880

Swindon
Swindon Paragon Integrated Domestic Abuse Service 24 Hour Helpline call 01793 610610

Information provided by Colerne and Lyneham HIVEs

Gloucestershire: GDASS 16 Days of Action

16 Days of Action is a yearly campaign to raise awareness of domestic violence and encourage collective action to work towards its elimination. It runs from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day.

Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Support Service's (GDASS) calendar of events, shared on behalf of the Domestic Abuse Local Partnership Board, can be found here. These events are free and available for anyone to attend.

Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Support Service (GDASS)
GDASS is a free and confidential service countywide support for anyone who has experienced or is experiencing domestic abuse (aged 16+).

01452 726 570 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm)
support@gdass.org.uk
www.gdass.org.uk

Information provided by Lyneham HIVE

Stafford: Staffordshire smart alert - How you can help to protect women and girls from violence and intimidation

How you can help to protect women and girls from violence and intimidation by understanding common perpetrator behaviours.

We’re relaunching our Don’t Choose to Abuse campaign today with two new videos aimed at perpetrators of violence and intimidation against women and girls.

For many, the emotional and physical abuse suffered at the hands of perpetrators can have lasting effects. The two videos show how this suffering can affect victims in their everyday life, and are designed to shine a spotlight on the common behaviours displayed by perpetrators to encourage them to change their behaviours.

There is help and support available to those that recognise that they are displaying unhealthy and abusive behaviour within their relationship and are willing to change. If you are worried about your behaviour, or the behaviour of a friend or family member towards women and girls, please reach out to protect women and girls from abuse.

Although this campaign is aimed at offenders, we want to reiterate that protecting and supporting victims is a priority for us. Support services are available for both victims and perpetrators and we will take all reports seriously.

Back in September, we arrested 61 people during a week-long intensification period as part of our commitment to tackling VAIWG. Part of this enforcement saw specialist officers contact more than 45 victims of domestic abuse alongside partner agencies to offer advice and support. We want to continue protecting women and girls by giving them safe routes to report and get vital support.

You can watch the new videos and find out more about our campaign by visiting our website: https://www.staffordshire.police.uk/police-forces/staffordshire-police/areas/staffordshire-police/campaigns/campaigns/dont-choose-to-abuse/

Contact details for victim or perpetrator support:

New Era, the domestic abuse service operating across Staffordshire, offers support to victims, as well as those displaying perpetrator behaviours who want help to change. Call 01785 904770 to speak to someone now.

Information provided by Stafford HIVE

'Travel to Refuge' scheme - free travel for those fleeing domestic abuse

 

Travel to Refuge is an umbrella scheme in which travel companies cover the cost of train or coach tickets for women, men and children escaping domestic abuse travelling to refuge accommodation. It’s made up of two schemes:

• Rail to Refuge, a joint initiative between Women’s Aid and the Rail Delivery Group, set up in April 2020, providing free rail travel for survivors of abuse.

• Road to Refuge, a joint initiative between Women’s Aid and National Express, set up in 2023, providing free coach travel for survivors of abuse.

For more infomation please visit: Travel to Refuge

Serve & Protect financial webinars and episode 5 of the 'Smile and Save' podcast

September Webinars

Free financial webinars this September from Serve and Protect - don't miss out!

• Managing the Cost of Living

• Domestic Violence - The Financial Impact

• Budgeting & Spending

• Understanding Wills and LPAs

• Boost Your Credit Score

• What Lenders Look For

Register: https://sandpcu.co.uk/webinars

Episode 5 of the Smile and Save Podcast is here, brought to you by Serve and Protect’s Jon who shares learnings from his almost 37 years’ experience in the RAF. Discover some tips and things to think about when transitioning to civilian life Watch here: https://youtu.be/ET8BMaOHmeE?si=l1UuQPM-FZ_yZhg5

Aurora New Dawn & Mankind - Domestic Abuse recovery programmes

As part of MOD's partnership with Aurora New Dawn, they are running a sexual violence recovery programme and an Athena domestic abuse programme for female Army and RN personnel and family members. 

Find out more at Aurora Abuse in the Armed Forces | Support Service | Aurora New Dawn (aurorand.org.uk)​ Course details, including how to register, are in the documents at these links:

Sexual Violence Recovery Programme

Athena Domestic Abuse Course​

​ManKind have received funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust to run their ACORN Recovery Course for male personnel, family members and veterans. 

Details, including how to register, are on the poster above (please click image to enlarge). 

More information on Mankind is at: https://mankind.org.uk/​

Trust launches Armed Forces Covenant Fund domestic abuse programme for 2024/25

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (The Trust) has launched a specialist and targeted funding programme to support people who have been affected by domestic abuse within the serving Armed Forces community.

The Free from Fear programme will award a small number of targeted grants to projects that can show how they will reduce the impact of, or support initiatives that will have a long-term effect in the prevention of, domestic abuse within serving Armed Forces communities.

Applications will need to give clear evidence of the need for their project and why they are confident that their approach will lead to sustainable long-term changes that will remain after the end of their project delivery.

What will this programme focus on?

The Trust ran a public consultation in 2023, which identified that one of the key areas to focus on was ‘ensuring our Armed Forces communities are not disadvantaged’.

This programme will address both emerging and current challenges within Armed Forces communities, aiming to remove barriers and provide clear pathways for people who have been affected by domestic abuse to access effective support.  The consultation findings are available to read on The Trust website.  

The Free from Fear programme will support projects which achieve one or more of the following outcomes: 

Stafford: Staffordshire smart alert - Domestic abuse helplines

As we approach the #EURO2024 Final we know that supporters maybe watching from home and enjoying a drink or two.

Unfortunately, sometimes this can lead to increased tensions in relationships, so we want to reassure anyone who is suffering from domestic abuse – a bad score is not a valid excuse for your partner to kick-off.

Domestic abuse can be triggered by many things, including alcohol, it isn’t always just physical – it can be a pattern of controlling, coercive and threatening behaviour which can also be emotional, psychological and sexual. Both men and women can be a victim of domestic abuse.

You are not alone, help is available.

We work with a number of partners across Staffordshire who themselves have online advice services and confidential helplines.

Please visit some of these partners at:

New Era - https://www.new-era.uk/

Staffordshire Women’s Aid - https://www.staffordshirewomensaid.org/

Savana - https://savana.org.uk/

In an Emergency please call 999.

Information provided by Stafford HIVE