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 

Defence Update: Blow the whistle - Domestic abuse support for Armed Forces families

Blow the whistle: Domestic abuse support for Armed Forces families

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on 11 June, people are urged to: Stop, Notice, and Act against domestic abuse. Don’t look away.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup – which will take place from 11 June to 19 July – is a time for celebration, community and a shared love for the game. But for some people, this period is marked by increased domestic abuse.

Research shows that domestic abuse incidents rise by 38% when England loses, and by 26% when they win or draw.

Football itself does not cause domestic abuse, but major tournaments can bring factors that raise the risk. This includes emotional stress, alcohol and substance use, financial pressures and gambling.

When something isnʼt right – in relationships, at home, at work, or in our communities – “blow the whistle”. That means recognising abuse, signposting to support, and speaking up if you witness or experience abusive behaviour.
Everyone has the right to feel safe

Domestic abuse takes many forms – including coercive control, physical, emotional and sexual abuse, in couple relationships or between family members.

Anyone can be affected: 1 in 4 women experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, and 1 in 6 or 7 men.

No one should make you feel unsafe. All Defence personnel are expected to treat others with dignity and respect, inside and outside of work. There is no Defence for abuse.
Supporting the Armed Forces community

In a military context, there is a misconception that domestic abuse support services are only for the Service person and not the whole family.

Defence has a clear duty to safeguard our people and their families from domestic abuse and has a range of support services in place – in the UK and overseas – to ensure every person in the Armed Forces (Regular and Reserve) community gets the support they need and deserve.

Defence’s Domestic Abuse Action Plan set out actions to tackle abuse through prevention, support and perpetrator interventions – backed by cultural change initiatives, leadership, education and training.
Support services for Armed Forces families
Holistic care and support

The Victim Witness Care Unit (VWCU) provides independent, trauma-informed support to victims-survivors and witnesses of serious crimes that have been committed by persons subject to Service law, in the UK and abroad.

The unit is independent of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force (single Services’) Chains of Command and supports people throughout their journey in the Service Justice System. They also have independent advisors that specialise in domestic violence and sexual violence.

Specialist welfare services

Oxfordshire: Reducing The Risk - Serving the Armed Forces or part of a Military Family?

 

Information provided  by South East HIVE Hub

Fife: Children and Young People's support line - Fife Women's Aid

Did you know that we don't just support women in Fife who are affected by Domestic Abuse?

We also have a dedicated Children and Young People's team, and offering counselling to children. Our Children and Young Person’s (CYP) counselling service is available for children and young people up to the age of 18 who have been affected by domestic abuse.

Play therapy is used with younger children and talking therapies are used with teenagers.

The service can be available for up to 20 sessions and is offered in a range of settings across Fife.

Our counselling service is affiliated to COSCA (Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland).

To make a referral please call us on our Freephone number
0808 801 0422

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE

Aurora New Dawn Athena Programme – Starts on 11 Feb

To find out more please visit https://aurorand.org.uk/ and to register, please email: armedforces@aurorand.org.uk or phone 02392 479254.

Freedom from violence and abuse: a cross-government strategy

 
Defence sets out commitments to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in a new cross government strategy published on 18 Dec.

To view the Strategy documents, please go to: Freedom from violence and abuse: a cross-government strategy - GOV.UK

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

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month – Types of Domestic Abuse

For information on sources of support and advice on domestic abuse, please see this topic area on the HIVE Blog at https://armyhiveinfo.blogspot.com/search/label/Domestic%20Abuse

Our information sheet on domestic abuse support can be downloaded at: https://armyhiveinfo.blogspot.com/search/label/Information%20Sheets

MODnet users can also find additional resources on the HIVE Sharepoint site at: Domestic Abuse

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/

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

'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

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/​

Domestic Abuse - Help is at Hand

Please click the poster to enlarge

Alternatively click here for a PDF file

You're not alone - it's Euro 24...the charity Women's Aid has advised that domestic abuse can rise by as much as 38% after big games. Please help to spread the information in this poster because it may be really valuable to someone you know.