Emergency kits for women who survive violence

The emergency kits include defensive red spray

After working in support and crisis services for six years and as a survivor herself, Bryony Ball says there is a "dangerous void" where women escaping gender-based violence are still at risk of harm and in some cases, death.

"Support services are hugely underfunded and two out of three women are being turned away from safe houses," she said.

"The government needs to do more."

A Home Office spokesperson said domestic abuse was a "heinous crime" and it had made funding available for victims.

To "fill the gap" between leaving their abuser and getting help, Ms Ball has contributed to a free emergency kit for victims.

The kit includes access to free security cameras, therapy, personal alarms, defensive red spray paint, burner phones and locksmith credit

Bryony Ball is a co-founder of Bristol-based organisation Survivors Leading Essential Education and Change (SLEEC).

For the past year they have been trialling the kit, which includes security cameras, personal alarms, defensive red spray paint, burner phones and locksmith credit.

After getting a lot of interest, Ms Ball says they want to raise funds to make the kits available to more people.

"There is a dangerous void," she said

"Survivors are turning to us now because the support just either isn't available or they have lost faith in the criminal justice system, charities and the police."

SLEEC was set up to create a survivor-led service for people affected by gender-based violence

According to the Femcide Census the risk of serious assault and death is highest for a woman after she leaves an abusive relationship.

Around 38% of women killed by their ex-partner from 2009 to 2018 were killed within the first month of separation, and 89% in the first year.

The Office for National Statistics also found 1.4 million women and 751,000 men experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2023.

Its data shows there was no significant change in the prevalence of domestic abuse in the last year compared with 2023.

Ms Osborne the kit gives survivors a sense of "power and safety"

Survivor of domestic violence and SLEEC director Mehala Osborne said the idea for the kits came after someone they were supporting - who was being stalked and harassed - contacted them for help.

"We asked her what she needed in that moment," she said.

"We feel services should be providing these things as part of their protection but they're not so we want to fill that gap."

She said the kit gives people "a sense of power and safety" doing the "everyday things that we take for granted".

"The government needs to put in more effort along with the criminal justice system to make sure the people who bear the financial costs for these things are the perpetrators themselves," she added.

The group has set up a crowdfunding page to raise funds so more people can be given the kits

In March 2020, the government introduced the Domestic Abuse Bill to increase awareness of domestic abuse, strengthen support for victims and improve the effectiveness of the justice system.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said domestic abuse is a "heinous crime".

"We must provide victims and survivors with the support they need," they added.

“This is why we set up the Flexible Fund which is supported by over £2 million of investment and will continue to help victims of domestic abuse through payments of up to £2,500 regain their freedom and move forward with rebuilding their lives.”

Ms Ball said stranger sexual harassment, sexual violence and stalking are "actually quite common" which means the amount of people asking to use their emergency kits has been increasing.

"This project will now be open to the Bristol community, and from what we've seen in the last year, we're expecting to see around 15 survivors a month coming to us for this support," she said