Bid to plug funding gap for refuge group - Council leader West comes to rescue of Solace Women’s Aid

Published: 11 February, 2011
by TERRY MESSENGER

TOWN Hall leader Catherine West has promised to help restore axed funds to a women’s counselling service which helps victims of rape and violence, writes . 

Solace Women’s Aid is expected to lose £400,000 in annual  Government grants paid through Islington Council. 

Five staff face redundancy meaning fewer women and children will be able to receive help.

Director of the Islington-based service Mary Mason warned:   “The level of cuts means that lives will be at risk.”

Cllr West has promised to approach Tory Mayor of London Boris Johnson to ask for funding  from the Greater London Authority to help make up the loss. 

The Labour council leader stressed that the borough reduced the  funding because the Conservative-led government pulled a grant earmarked for Solace.

She said: “I hope myself and Mary Mason can go along to ask Boris for some money because he’s meant to be supportive of women’s services, rape crisis centres and domestic violence centres and I’m going to try to make the case for funds for Solace.”

The service provides counselling, support and, where necessary, places of safety for nearly 4,000 vulnerable women across London every year. 

An anonymous Solace client, who was once suicidal, said: “I wouldn’t be here without Solace.”

The service is based at a confidential address in Islington. More than a quarter of its clients come from the borough.

Solace development worker Alison Buchanan said seven people were raped in Islington in one month at the end of last year.