A Darlington charity which has provided a safe haven for women and children fleeing domestic abuse for almost 50 years has received a £15,000 boost through Durham Freemasons to support children affected by abuse.
Family Help Darlington will receive the funding over three years, helping to provide therapeutic and early-intervention support for children staying at the charity’s refuge.
Andrew Foster, Deputy Head of Durham Freemasons, recently visited the charity, where he met Chief Executive Carole Clarkson, Chair of Trustees Emily and Vice Chair of Trustees Val to hear more about its work and how the grant will be used.
Family Help has supported women and children affected by domestic abuse since 1976 and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in October. It began when a small group of local volunteers, including a vicar, doctor and solicitor, established a refuge in a terraced house in Darlington.
Today, the charity provides eight self-contained family units in a discreetly located building in the town, each capable of accommodating a mother and up to six children. Its eight members of staff are supported by a dedicated group of volunteers.
Val, who previously served as Chair for 15 years and has been a trustee for 20 years, said:
“We are family by name and family by nature. Staff, volunteers and clients all come together as one family unit.”
Around 80 children and 40 women are supported within the refuge each year. More than 60 per cent come from the North East, with many families choosing to remain in the Darlington area when they move on and begin rebuilding their lives.
Children arriving at Family Help may have experienced trauma, disrupted education, poor emotional wellbeing and instability. They receive therapeutic activities, counselling and specialist support designed to improve wellbeing, rebuild confidence and help them develop coping strategies in a safe and stable environment.
Family Help also works in local schools through its Healthy Relationships Programme, helping children and young people understand positive and healthy relationships and providing important early intervention.
Demand remains high. Last year the charity received 360 referrals, 237 involving children, with more than 100 families unable to be accommodated because the refuge was already at capacity.
Carole Clarkson, who has been Chief Executive for more than ten years, said:
“Supporting children who have experienced domestic abuse takes time, stability and specialist support. This three-year grant gives us the ability to plan ahead and continue providing the safe and nurturing environment they need.
“We are extremely grateful to Durham Freemasons for this support and for recognising the importance of the work we do with children.”
The £15,000 award is the latest stage in a relationship between Family Help and local Freemasonry. The charity first received support from a Darlington Freemasons Lodge, which introduced it to the wider work of Durham Freemasons Charity, where it successfully secured a further grant.
That relationship has now led to Family Help receiving its latest and largest Freemasons’ grant to date from The Freemasons’ Charity, following an application supported by Durham Freemasons. The national charity awards grants on behalf of Freemasons across England and Wales, helping locally identified charities and good causes access greater levels of support. Like all Freemasons’ grants, the funding comes from money donated by Freemasons, their families and friends.
Andrew Foster said:
“What is particularly pleasing is how our relationship with Family Help has grown. It began with a grant from a local Lodge, progressed to support from Durham Freemasons Charity and has now resulted in this £15,000 award from our national charity.
“It is another example of Durham Freemasons and Durham Freemasons Charity making a real difference to the lives of people in our communities, with every stage of that support made possible by money donated by Freemasons.
“Most importantly, this funding will help children affected by domestic abuse to feel safe, rebuild their confidence and begin to move forward with their lives.”
Family Help relies on grants and donations to maintain its specialist services, supporting families from the moment they arrive at the refuge, throughout their stay and, where needed, after they move into independent accommodation.
As Family Help approaches its 50th anniversary, the grant will help ensure that children affected by domestic abuse continue to receive the specialist support they need to feel safe, recover and rebuild their lives.
Andrew Foster and Carole Clarkson discuss plans for the Durham Freemasons Grant.
Val explains to Andrew how the charity is Family by name and by nature.
