Welsh Women’s Aid successful in Live Fear Free bid
Welsh Women’s Aid and Welsh Government joint statement on Welsh Women’s Aid’s successful bid to continue management of the Live Fear Free Helpline.
Welsh Women’s Aid are thrilled to announce that they have been successful in their bid to continue the management of the Live Fear Free Helpline.
The Live Fear Free Helpline hosts a team of highly trained Advocates providing lifesaving, specialised, compassionate support to survivors of violence against women, domestic abuse, and sexual violence, concerned others, specialist services and professionals across Wales.
Support is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and can be accessed through a variety of channels including webchat, text and email as well as the traditional phone-call.
The Helpline is inclusive, supporting women, men and children of all ages and using Language Line to offer communications in a multitude of languages.
The Helpline was established by Welsh Women’s Aid in 2004 and the organisation has won multiple bids to continue its management ever since.
Welsh Women’s Aid CEO Sara Kirkpatrick said “The Live Fear Free helpline is part of the fabric of Welsh Women’s Aid’s identity, and we are so happy that it remains with us. We established the Helpline in 2004 and it has grown into a key component of the Wales wide response to violence and abuse over the last 18 years. The invaluable work of Helpline Support Workers and Helpline volunteers cannot be overstated, and the women, children and men for whom the helpline has been a lifesaving or lifechanging source of support is unquantifiable.
‘Live Fear Free’s dedication to providing the best, most compassionate support possible to anyone reaching out for help is unwavering- quite literally, 24 hours, 365 days a year. We could not be more delighted with our successful bid and the opportunity to continue championing Live Fear Free’s work as part of our mission to eradicate violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence across Wales for good.”
The Welsh Government formalised its commitment to tackling VAWDASV in 2015 with the introduction of the Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Act, which set out to prevent VAWDASV and protect and support those who have been effected by it.
Welsh Government fully supports the need for all victims of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence (VAWDASV), including victims of rape, to have appropriate and timely access to support when they need it, that is why we established the Live Fear Free helpline in Wales, a service that we have committed to and have been funding since 2004.
Welsh Government are pleased to announce Welsh Women’s Aid were successful in an open tendering process to deliver the Live Fear Free Helpline services, and will continue to offer a specialist service for the next three years (with possibility of extension).
Jane Hutt, Minister for Social Justice said;
“In Wales, as in the rest of the world, too many people still experience violence against women and gender based violence, including domestic abuse and sexual violence. It is a major public health problem in Wales as it is globally. Welsh Government is committed to ending violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence, it is a fundamental violation of human rights and has far-reaching consequences for families, children and our society”
“It is crucial for victims and survivors to have access to specialist support at a time when they need it. Our Live Fear free helpline is there to support 24/7 365 days of the year, it supports on average 30,000 contacts every year.
‘I’m delighted to announce that Welsh Women’s Aid will continue with the delivery of specialist support through the helpline to victims of harassment, violence and abuse across Wales”
If you have experienced any form of violence against women, domestic abuse, sexual violence, or you are worried about someone you know, the Live Fear Free Helpline is there for you.
Call: 0808 80 10 800
Text: 07860077333
Email: [email protected]
Webchat: https://gov.wales/live-fear-free/contact-live-fear-free
For press inquiries on this topic, please contact Head of Public Affairs and Communications Sophie Weeks on [email protected]