Llyfrgell Adnoddau Model Cynnydd

We know that many survivors will choose to seek help from local specialist organisations they already know and trust. Women’s Aid Federation England will therefore administer a Community Services Support Fund (CSSF) to help specialist VAWG organisations meet additional demand arising from the Progression Model.

Grants will be available of £400 for every eligible organisation that is supporting an eligible survivor. There is no limit to the number of eligible survivors an organisation can claim for, the £400 is per survivor supported.

The £400 grant is a contribution towards the cost of providing specialist support to adult and child survivors.

This can include:

The fund cannot be used for capital or longer-term costs, including target hardening, sanctuary schemes, formal therapy, moving costs or accommodation.

We appreciate that £400 is only a contribution to the cost of supporting a survivor and we have agreed to review the fund in December. Dependant on demand we may be able to increase the amount and this will be backdated for any earlier applications.

The fund is available to community-based specialist VAWG organisations in the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector across England and Wales, including VCSE organisations that provide a dedicated specialist VAWG service. Generic services without dedicated specialist VAWG provision are not eligible for the fund.

Some services may have received recent surge funding from their local Police and Crime Commissioner to support victims impacted by the progression model. These services are able to apply for the Community Services Support Fund (CSSF), but the activities funded through the CSSF must not duplicate the PCC funded activities. The CCSF funding must therefore be used for distinct activities to support victims affected by the progression model.

A survivor is eligible for support through this response package if all three of the following apply:

The funds will open on a monthly basis from October 2026.

To apply, eligible referring organisations must first register for an account on our application platform, SurveyMonkey Apply using their work email address. To register, please contact our team at [email protected] to request the links. Please note that accounts must not be created using a survivor’s name or email address, as only referring organisations can be account holders.  You will need an account for everyone in your organisation who will be submitting grant applications.

Once registered, you’ll be able to submit applications during the designated opening times.

The application form takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and consists of a short series of questions about the referring organisation, demographic information about the survivor (for monitoring purposes), and their eligibility for the fund.

We aim to process applications within five working days, after which you will be notified of the outcome by email.

If your application is successful, the approval email will include further instructions on invoicing and reimbursement.

Applications are reviewed in the order they are submitted. Where applications meet the eligibility criteria, the organisation is eligible, and funding is available, funds are allocated accordingly.

Every referral received represents a significant need. To ensure fairness, applications are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

All of this information is available at www.womensaid.org.uk

You can contact the community service support fund team here: [email protected]