Furniture Matters is working with SafeNet to provide additional safe houses for those escaping domestic abuse. The team have been supplying everything from sofas, wardrobes, washers, microwaves, cookers, beds, and bedding to empty properties across Lancashire. The properties will provide comfortable accommodation for those seeking refuge, allowing SafeNet to expand their service amid growing demand.
The additional safe spaces come as domestic abuse continues to soar under lockdown. A recent Women’s Aid Survivor Survey showed that abusers are using the pandemic to carry out abuse, and levels of abuse are rising following lockdown. In response to the survey, 67% of survivors currently experiencing abuse reported that it had worsened since lockdown and a further 72% stated that their abuser now had even more control over their life.
To make matters worse, the same conditions that have given rise to this increased control have also made it more difficult for those looking to escape their abuser. Over three-quarters of respondents to Women’s Aid’s Survivor Survey stated that lockdown made it harder to leave their abuser.
‘The work Furniture Matters have done to support us during this time has been invaluable. Without them, victims of domestic abuse would continue to remain isolated with their abuser with little means of escape. By helping us provide self-contained, comfortable accommodation, the team at Furniture Matters has allowed us to extend our provision at a time when services are more in-demand than ever before.‘ Helen Gauder, Managing Director SafeNet Domestic Abuse Services.
Furniture Matters are currently supporting similar initiatives across Lancashire.
‘We are always here to support our communities, and now more than ever they need our help. These properties will be a lifeline for those in need. In these uncertain times, they will provide a safe place for people to call home. We’ll continue to do everything we can, working together to make a real difference.’ Steph Buchanan, Manager of Furniture Matters.
