Devon county council: Save Exeter Refuge

It was recently announced that the Refuge in Exeter is due to close in March as the current providers were unsuccessful in their bid to Devon county council for continued funding. The successful applicant did not include refuge provision in their bid
We are at a loss to understand how DCC could have considered any tender that did not include refuge provision, given the overwhelming evidence that this vital and invaluable resource remains as much needed today as it ever was.

The refuge not only provides a place of safety for women and children fleeing domestic abuse, it also offers a 24/7 help line and dedicated team of professional workers whose skills, expertise and support enable and empower the residents to come to terms with their experiences, to rebuild their lives and positively move on.Exeter refuge has, over its nearly 40 year history demonstrated the ongoing need for this specialised provision.

Studies into the effectiveness and value of refuges have also shown that:-

REFUGES SAVE workloads in terms of the additional hours the statutory agencies would have to spend dealing with domestic abuse

REFUGES SAVE money in terms of the cost of emergency housing, children being taken into care etc

But most of all

REFUGES SAVE LIVES. This one fact alone has been proven year on year in police, home office and Women's Aid statistics.

The loss of the Refuge in a city the size of Exeter in one of the largest counties in the country is totally unjustifiable and unacceptable.

Please join our SAVE EXTER REFUGE campaign by spreading this petition to everyone you know and by lobbying your local councillors and county councillors and your local MP

Thank you for your support