Swindon Womens Aid

Who we are

OUR VISION

Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service is committed to empowering and supporting male and female victims and survivors of domestic abuse; by providing a range of flexible and accessible services that promote positive change. Using our knowledge and expertise we inform policy and raise awareness to protect and keep victims and survivors safe.

OUR HERITAGE

Swindon Women’s Aid was established on 25 August 1975 by Jenni Manners (MBE) and was one of the first operational refuges outside of London. Since 1975 we have helped several thousand victims and survivors to leave their perpetrators and start new lives which are free from violence and abuse.

In April 2012, Swindon Women’s Aid was commissioned by Swindon Borough Council to deliver a fully integrated domestic abuse service for residents within the Swindon area. This new contract enabled us to move from our smaller refuge in the Park South area of Swindon into a purpose-built refuge where we can accommodate up to 22 families and which is adapted for disabled use. We also established an outreach service to support victims and survivors of DVA who needed support to exit their abusive relationships but who wished to remain living in the community. In 2019, we rebranded to become Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service (SWA) to better reflect the diversity of those we support.

We have a Children’s and Young People’s strand to the charity, where we support children living in our refuge and deliver targeted preventative work in local schools and colleges to educate young adults and children in Healthy Relationships. We also have specially trained advisors who work with older victims 60+.