What can I do to help children who have experienced domestic abuse this Christmas? 

On Christmas Day, up to 195 women and 262 children will wake up in one of Hestia’s domestic abuse refuges. Some will have arrived during the festive period, leaving behind the presents they wanted to open and the trees they decorated. We have heard children ask: “does Father Christmas come to refuges, or just to homes?” 

When women and their children arrive at our refuges this Christmas, we want to give them the warmest welcome possible. This includes giving them a welcome pack full of toiletries, food and toys, but also providing a programme of practical and emotional support, so they can begin to recover from their trauma. 

We need your help to do this. 

How can I help? 

Donate to support our Journey to Refuge Winter 2021 Appeal, supporting women and children arriving at our domestic abuse refuges over Christmas to settle in and begin their recovery journeys.

Donate now

What will the impact be? 

A recent survey of women in our refuge found that two thirds of mothers said that their relationship with their children had improved since arriving at a refuge. 85 per cent of children had made friends while 93 per cent felt happy at the refuge. 

We believe that these positive outcomes are a direct result of the support we provide to children when they enter our refuges. 

Dedicated Children and Family Workers work alongside families at our refuges, running therapeutic sessions, group activities and day trips, which enable children to feel safe, secure and have fun. This support also helps the children at our refuges to build new relationships with each other, and to rebuild the bond between mother and child, which is often damaged as a result of the abuse they experience. 

“This was a lifetime of sweet memories. It will be part of my children’s life story. They talk about the activities we did with such happiness.” – Zoe* 

Your donations help to cover the cost of everything from therapy sessions to new play equipment, and exciting day trips out of the refuge as a family.  

Many of the families in our refuges are at the very start of their recovery journey. But, with your support, they are able to begin looking forward this Christmas, and start thinking about their lives beyond crisis.

Donate now

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