Domestic abuse charity faces closure over funding

The charity said it needed to find £225,000 to keep running its free services

A domestic abuse charity says it is unable to support new survivors of abuse due to a lack of funds.

Staff with the DAWN Project, run by Worcester Community Trust in the city, said they need £225,000 to continue running their free services after the group revealed it had no guaranteed funding for next year.

The charity said it had until March to find the money to help support its work.

Otherwise it could be forced to close and would be "one less local charity" for people experiencing domestic abuse, Caitlin Parmar, from the project, said.

Since 2020, the charity has supported more than 1,000 people and 1,500 children in south Worcestershire with issues including court cases and counselling.

Ms Parmar said, although national charities and helplines were available for people to access, it was important local people could access support at a community level.

"Currently 22,000 people in Worcestershire alone are experiencing domestic abuse," she said.

"It is really important that there are services out there for when people are ready to seek support from whomever they want to.

"With services like ourselves who may have to close our doors it leads to less support out there."