Rosa has distributed over £550,000 of grants to strengthen and ensure the future sustainability of frontline violence against women and girls (VAWG) organisations across the UK. The money comes from Rosa’s Stand With Us Fund, which was set up in 2021 to utilise and continue the amazing fundraising efforts of Reclaim These Streets in the wake of Sarah Everard’s kidnap and murder by a serving Met Police officer.
A total of 24 organisations from across the UK will receive one-year grants of up to £25,000, which will enable them to be in a stronger position to survive, thrive and grow by investing in organisational development work such as developing strategy, strengthening governance and leadership, increasing fundraising, volunteering and activism and creating a stronger voice for themselves in the women’s movement. All the funded organisations focus on either violence against women and girls or rape and sexual violence; their primary purpose is providing services directly to women and girls.
Among the organisations receiving grants are; Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds, which supports women and girls who have been through the trauma of child sexual abuse, rape or any form of sexual violence; the Luton-based Stepping Stones, which provides a range of practical and emotional support to women living in Luton and Bedfordshire who are affected by multiple complex issues, including domestic abuse; Muslim Women’s Network, which works in the West Midlands to advance social justice for Muslim women and girls from minoritised communities; and Halo Project, a Middlesborough-based charity dedicated to supporting Black and minoritised women and girls affected by male abuse and sexual violence.
Katie Russell, CEO of Support After Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds said:
“It feels fantastic to be awarded a Stand With Us grant. It’s a rare gift to be able to focus some dedicated time and other resource on organisational development and sustainability, and to look to the longer-term future with optimism.
Ultimately, this will ensure women and girls in Leeds who’ve been through the trauma of sexual violence and abuse have access to the specialist services they need, want and deserve. It will support them to process, heal and move forward positively with their lives in whatever ways feel right for them. It will enable and empower them to pursue criminal and social justice.
We plan to use this funding to diversify our income in new and innovative ways, to boost our sustainability and enable us to maintain and grow our specialist services so we can help more of the women and girls who want and need us long into the future.”
Kristina Piggott, Manager for Strategy and Operations at grantee Dundee International Women’s Centre (DIWC) said:
“This funding will enable us to expand our work supporting women and girls, particularly those from minority ethnic backgrounds who face significant cultural and structural barriers to accessing support. We are honoured to receive this grant, which recognises the vital work we do in supporting women who have experienced domestic abuse and coercive control.
This funding comes at a crucial time as we work to deepen our Violence Against Women (VAW) services and improve our organisational capacity. It is a significant step in strengthening our ability to advocate for and support women who may otherwise struggle to access help.
This funding will have a profound impact on the women and girls we support. The Stand With Us grant will allow us to enhance our services, helping more women make informed choices about their futures while ensuring they receive the support they need.
Rosa is deeply grateful to the women from across the women and girls sector who provided their expertise to help design and deliver the fund. We would also like to thank donors for their investment, including Kering Foundation, Dormywood Trust, Zoom Cares Foundation and Cummins.
The impact report on the first round of funding distributed through the Stand With Us Fund in 2022 showed that organisations that received grants quadrupled Rosa’s investment, raising £4 for every £1 invested, to a total of £2.1 million. Their work impacted 13,359 women and girls in one year alone.
The full list of successful Stand With Us applicants can be found here.
To donate or find out more about the fund visit the Just Giving Page.