25 November marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Action Against Domestic Violence, an annual national campaign which raises awareness and funds for the prevention of domestic abuse.
As one of Jigsaw Support’s domestic abuse support services, Bridges is heavily involved in the campaign. With domestic abuse costing the NHS £1.73billion each year, they are focusing on their efforts on impact that abuse can have on the health of its victims and their families.
For example, a quarter of high risk victims visited A&E with injuries in the year before they sought help and in extreme cases, victims visited A&E up to 15 times before seeking help. Victims who were identified by doctors, nurses or other health professionals engage with effective support 6 months earlier on average, so it’s vital that professionals know the signs of domestic abuse and the support services available.
Bridges will be administering training sessions to staff at Tameside General Hospital as well as distributing information about the service around the hospital. They are also running a stall at a men’s neighbourhood community event at Hattersley Hub on 27 November.
If you or anyone you know have been a victim of domestic abuse, feel free to speak to Bridges in confidence. For more information about the campaign visit https://16daysofaction.co.uk/
Other organisations offering support include:
Women’s Aid
Email: info@womensaid.org.uk
Freephone 24 hour national domestic violence helpline: 0808 2000 247 (run in partnership with Refuge)
Refuge
Freephone 24-hour national domestic violence helpline 0808 2000 247 (run in partnership with Women’s Aid)
Victim Support
Support line free: 08 08 16 89 111
Men’s Advice Line
Call free: 0808 801 0327
