This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Final stage of refuge development
16/12/2002
Fourteen areas of Scotland are set to benefit from the
final instalment of the Executive's £10 million refuge
development programme
An intensive three year programme to build new refuges
for women and children and extend and upgrade existing
ones, was announced in 2000.
Today's announcement provides the most substantial stage
of the funding allocation, comprising around £5.3 million
while Communities Scotland has contributed an additional
£2 million to refuge development, bringing the total
investment to £12 million.
So far, 13 projects have been approved in areas around
Scotland. Another 16 will receive a share of the next cash
boost with work commencing in 2003, extending refuge
coverage to every area of Scotland.
Social Justice Minister Margaret Curran said:
"No one should have to live in fear, but the sad reality
is that many women and children do. This investment -
totalling £10 million - emphasises our commitment to
tackling the scourge of domestic abuse.
"Refuge spaces have been upgraded and improved over the
last three years. We pledged that by 2004 every woman who
needs a refuge space will have access to one. This final
instalment will help us achieve that aim."
Scottish Women's Aid Refuge Co-ordinator, Kate Arnot
said:
"This is the final - and largest - element of a huge
investment package by the Scottish Executive to increase
and develop refuges in Scotland. To ensure resources were
targeted most effectively we asked women, children and
young people what kind of refuges they wanted. We
particularly welcome this investment to increase diversity
and enhance facilities in the types of refuges provided by
Women's Aid."
The next phase of the Executive's domestic abuse
campaign will begin on Boxing Day, using television and
newspaper advertisements to highlight the emotional impact
of domestic abuse on women and children.
A freephone helpline
0800 027 1234 and
www.domesticabuse.co.uk gives information and advice about domestic abuse, all
year round.
The areas that will receive funding are Edinburgh,
Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee, East and South Ayrshire,
Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow, Highland, Inverclyde, Moray, North
and South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire.
EDINBURGH
Around £643,000 will be granted to Edinburgh Women's Aid
to provide eight self-contained properties in the local
area. This money will be used to fund a large purpose built
refuge with flats of various sizes for families and
individual women, with communal facilities and office
space. Last year, Shakti Women's Aid received £209,000 for
a new refuge in the Edinburgh area.
DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY
Dumfries and District Women's Aid will receive around
£155,000 to refurbish and extend an existing refuge and
purchase a new property.
DUNDEE
Seven two bedroom flats will be built in Dundee, at a
cost of around £420,000, to replace one of the older,
inadequate refuges in the city. Three of the flats will be
located on the ground floor to ensure access for people
with disabilities. The building will also include office
space, a counselling room, playspace and laundry.
AYRSHIRE - EAST AND SOUTH
Ayrshire will receive almost £610,000 for refuges in the
Kilmarnock, Ayr and Prestwick areas. An existing refuge,
where children have to share a bedroom with their mother,
will be replaced with eight self-contained flats which will
greatly improve the facilities for families. A further
three new houses will be built to complement existing
provision.
FALKIRK
The Falkirk area is set to benefit from this funding
announcement. A wheelchair accessible refuge with four
spaces will be built, at a cost of £142,000. Building work
will start next year.
FIFE
A new refuge will be built in west Fife, at a cost of
around £395,000. When completed it will offer nine spaces
for women and their children and this will complement a
seven space refuge in central Fife which received over
£410,000 funding from the Executive's initiative in the
first year.
GLASGOW
Eight one to three bedroomed flats, costing around
£360,000, will be developed in conjunction with Hemat
Gryffe Women's Aid. This will increase refuge provision for
black and minority ethnic women and shows the need for
specific refuge provision for this group. A 12 space refuge
with access facilities for people with disabilities will
shortly be completed with £700,000 of Executive
funding.
HIGHLAND
Funding of over £330,000 will mean five extra spaces for
women and children in the far north of Scotland. This new
funding will bring the total investment in refuges in the
Highlands to £1.5 million which has been used to supply
refuges in various areas.
INVERCLYDE
More spaces will be available in the Inverclyde area for
women and children fleeing domestic abuse. Funding of over
£690,000 will create a number of two and three bedroom
flats in the Greenock area.
MORAY
More spaces will be available for women and children
fleeing domestic abuse in the Moray area. New properties
will be built at a cost of around £470,000. They will
provide accommodation for five families and two single
women.
LANARKSHIRE - NORTH AND SOUTH
Lanarkshire will benefit from £451,000 for family refuge
projects in the area. This will comprise of a number of two
bedroom houses and flats in the North Lanarkshire area and
three bedroom houses in South Lanarkshire.
WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE
A new refuge will be built in the West Dunbartonshire
area at a cost of around £633,000. This will replace an
existing refuge and will increase the provision for women
in the area. The new refuge will also provide specific
support services for women with drug and alcohol
problems.