Picturehouse Blog

This year saw the commencement of our partnership with charity Refuge. We're excited to be supporting Refuge through an ongoing partnership, which will not only help raise the profile of their essential work but will help to change the lives of many for years to come.

Here's a bit more about their past, present and future:

Past:

Refuge's story began in 1971 with the opening of the world's first house for women and children escaping domestic violence in Chiswick, West London. For the first time, someone was saying it was wrong to beat your partner, that it was a crime. Back then, domestic violence was seen as a private matter that was to be dealt with behind closed doors and within the family. Society turned a blind eye; Refuge did not. Women and children fleeing abuse partners came to Refuge seeking safety, and Refuge didn't let them down. 

Present:

Refuge has been at the forefront of campaigning against domestic violence ever since and has grown to become the country's largest single provider of specialist domestic and gender-based violence services. 

Now we support more than 6,500 women and children on any given day. Supporting survivors of domestic abuse is at the core of what Refuge does -  whether its economic abuse, coercive control, tech abuse, physical violence, sexual violence, 'honour' based violence, forced marriage, FGM, human trafficking or modern slavery – Refuge is there to support abused women and children. 

Future: 

Refuge is set to keep growing and will support more survivors in the years to come. 

Since 1st November 2019, Refuge has run the National Domestic Abuse Helpline as the sole provider and in December 2019 the charity launched a new online platform www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk, with its design informed by survivors and frontline staff.  We have also increased the number of Helpline experts who will be able to answer more calls than ever before.

Thanks to the expanded Helpline service Refuge will provide more survivors with access to emergency and other domestic abuse services across the country, as well as provide essential emotional support and practical information. The Helpline runs every hour of the day, every day of the year.

Refuge works towards a future where women and children are free from domestic abuse. Picturehouse shares that vision. If you aspire to a future where domestic abuse is no longer tolerated or ignored stand with us in solidarity this Christmas by donating here.