Women’s charity in trouble calls Sheffield Council to release ‘emergency funding’

Vida, a “pioneering” women’s charity, has launched a fundraising campaign to secure its survival.

The charity says it needs £54,000 by the end of next month – and now, the bosses have also set up a petition to call Cllr Tom Hunt, the leader of Sheffield City Council, to “release emergency funding” to save them.

The petition says: “Vida has spent 30 years coordinating local work against domestic abuse in Sheffield and now offers a specialist therapeutic service for women recovering from trauma caused by domestic abuse.

“The service is always over-subscribed and offers women in Sheffield a vital opportunity to heal and recover.”

Vida helps on average 250 women and girls per year with free therapy by expert trauma-informed therapists to help them move forward with their lives after abuse.

Also, Vida bosses say the charity saves the NHS £50k a month.

Karen Hague, the chief executive of Vida Sheffield, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that it was a big blow to have failed a bid this year and despite having put another bid in for the Department of Health and Social Care for a fund, the decision is yet to be announced.

She said: “So we had no alternative but to let our staff know because they are entitled to redundancy notes and pay – and at the same time our service users know.

“Where will these women go if we don’t exist?”

She added they asked the council to chip in as they have “obligations” under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 to support women and girls who have experienced abuse.

Ms Hague, however, added the “long-term mental health” recovery was not part of that obligation.

“But clearly there’s a moral obligation to deal with that”, she said.

Ms Hague said they were now trying to get funding “from any agency” that feels the responsibility for these women.

She said 65 per cent of women at Vida say they have had suicidal thoughts and 78 per cent no longer do so and have reduced their severe depression and anxiety by the end of their therapy.

She also warned of potential consequences if the women in question didn’t get the help they needed.

Ms Hague said: “Please don’t wait for that to happen.”

Sheffield Council was approached for a comment.

In a statement sent to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Cllr Angela Argenzio, chair of the Adult Health and Social Care Policy Committee, said: “Vida is one of a number of valued charities in the city that support women and provide counselling.

“We are in contact with them and have supported them in their communications with the Department of Health and Social Care regarding their funding bid, as we would be very sorry to see them close.

“As a council we support and provide funding to a number of organisations through our Domestic Abuse Strategy, including women’s refuges, the Domestic Abuse Helpline and Independent Domestic Violence Advocates.”

The petition can be signed here.