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SafeLives receives grant from Big Lottery Fund to support survivors of domestic abuse in Scotland

SafeLives, a UK-wide domestic abuse charity, has been awarded a grant by the Big Lottery Fund to help end the postcode lottery for domestic abuse survivors in Scotland. The funding will allow the charity to work with professionals and survivors across Scotland to close the gaps in provision and to help ensure that every victim and child can be safe from harm and fear – no matter what their circumstances or where they live.

SafeLives research found that over 130,000 people in Scotland live with domestic abuse every year, with over 9,000 women and 12,000 children living in homes with the highest risk of murder or serious harm. Experiences in different parts of the country vary enormously.

This grant will allow SafeLives to work closely with survivors across Scotland: to listen to their experiences and ensure that their views are being heard by policymakers and the public. The response to domestic abuse must be evidence-driven. There is no better or more reliable insight into the reality of domestic abuse than the experience of survivors themselves, and SafeLives now has the opportunity to match this with data from statutory and voluntary sector partners to add to the case for change and to create innovation in practice. The charity will work in close partnership with local and national partners to provide online and offline support and resources.

We are so pleased to have this opportunity to build on our work in Scotland. The recent success of the Scottish Government’s Domestic Abuse Bill and the action plan for Equally Safe provides a great platform to continue the momentum. We know there is brilliant work going in Scotland to help survivors and children; we want to work in partnership with partners and survivors to build on this. We know that change is possible, and we must hold onto that and keep going until every victim and child is safe.

We’re particularly excited to have the opportunity to build a network of Pioneers in Scotland - survivors who have real life experience and can use their voice at the highest level to influence change.

We’re grateful to the Big Lottery fund for awarding us this grant and look forward to all that we can achieve.

SafeLives Chief Executive, Suzanne Jacob

I am delighted that SafeLives has been successful in securing National Lottery finding. The award will make a big difference where it is needed most and I wish SafeLives every success as it goes on to develop and expand its project for the benefit of local communities.

Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair, Maureen McGinn

Read the report

This report will look at the current need and provision with regards to domestic abuse in Scotland, drawing on SafeLives’ own relevant datasets, including service level data (Insights) and multi- agency level (Marac) data.

Whole Lives Scotland

Noted to Editors

The Big Lottery Fund supports the aspirations of people who want to make life better for their communities across the UK. We are responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised by the National Lottery and invest over £650 million a year in projects big and small in health, education, environment and charitable purposes.

  • The Big Lottery Fund Scotland is focussed on helping people and communities most in need throughout Scotland through its five-year £250m funding scheme as well as small grants scheme National Lottery Awards for All Scotland.
  • Since March 2007 Big Lottery Fund Scotland has taken devolved decisions on National Lottery spending, the Committee, led by Chair, Maureen McGinn plays a strategic role in the future direction of the Fund in Scotland.
  • Since June 2004 we have awarded over £8 billion to projects across the UK that change the lives of millions of people.
  • Every year we fund 13,000 small local projects tackling big social problems like poor mental health and homelessness.
  • Since the National Lottery began in 1994, £35 billion has been raised and more than 490,000 grants awarded

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