Moray Women’s Aid are appealing for the community to rally round in 2020 after a record number of women and children sought help from the organisation last year.
The Moray service reports that 582 women and 114 minors received assistance in 2019.
The figure is considerably more than that of 2018, when 467 women and 96 children used the organisation.
And the charity warned that the figures do not include the children and young people who benefit from a parent or guardian receiving help from Moray Women’s Aid.
The significant increase in women seeking support recently from the service has put yet more pressure on the local organisation that was already financially strained.
Manager of Moray Women’s Aid, Elle Johnston said: “Like many other organisations, we are facing cuts and looking at how we can reduce costs but sadly it’s at a time when we have record numbers coming to the service.
“We’re struggling right now with the same amount of staff but trying to support so many more women and children.”
Mrs Johnstone believes the surge in women coming forward for assistance is the result of a combination of factors.
Once such factor to have an effect on the service is the introduction of the Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (Marac). This requires professionals such as the police to assess high risk cases where a woman is considered to be in danger before referring them to their local women’s aid service.
The local organisation, which operates at their purpose-built facility with seven self-contained flats in Elgin, has also noticed an increase women self-referring.
With the team at Moray Women’s Aid raising awareness about the different forms domestic abuse can take.
Moray Women’s Aid would like to thank the residents of Moray who have supported the service so far.
The team hope the community will carry on helping them in 2020 to be able to continue to provide the crucial service that protects women and children from violence.
People throughout Moray can support the organisation by making donations of cash or items such as furniture, toiletries, children’s essentials, volunteering with the sub-group Friends of Marleon to assist at fundraising events or contacting the Moray Council on their behalf to highlight how important the work they do is for the women and children in the area.
Mrs Johnston adds: “We get great donations; the community is fantastic at supporting us.”
