Women's charity secures funding to halt closure

Over 27,000 signatures were gathered for a petition calling on Sheffield Council to secure Vida's future in 2024

A women's charity under threat of closure for more than 18 months says it has received "crucial funding" to secure its immediate future.

Vida, which provides support to victims of domestic abuse in Sheffield, said it had received £250,000 to fund its ongoing work.

A spokesperson for the charity said it had been supported by a number of groups including the Brelms Trust, Lloyds Bank Foundation, and Synergy MHA.

CEO Karen Hague said the funding would allow Vida to "maintain its essential counselling, therapy, and recovery programmes preventing the imminent closure that had threatened it's future".

Vida, which started life in the mid-90's as Sheffield Domestic Violence Forum, launched a petition in 2024 calling on Sheffield City Council to provide emergency funding after cuts jepoardised its ability to provide services.

Responding at the time, the council said it could not directly fund the charity but would do "all we can" to support it to find other funding options.

Despite the temporary funding boost, Ms Hague said securing multi-year funding remained the long term goal for the charity, which needs to raise about £250,000 a year.

"Every year is a challenge trying to secure funding," she said.

"We will apply to the Lottery, who have been generous funders of our service in the past, but we really need to influence government to invest in long term mental health services."

Ms Hague has backed calls by the Women's Trust for the government to invest £27.5m annually to assist survivors of abuse on their recovery journey.

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