Plasterer giving up time to improve homes of domestic violence survivors raises £62,000
More than £62,000 has been raised to help fund a plasterer who has volunteered her time and skills to help redo the homes of those who have been in abusive relationships.
Naima Ben-Moussa launched the online fundraiser five months ago to help cover the cost of materials and help others “rebuild” their lives.
Ms Ben-Moussa says she “understands” what these women had gone through, having suffered abuse as a child.
Writing on her Just Giving page, the 36-year-old from Derbyshire said: "The support given by you beautiful people [means] we can set this charity up so it can go national... So we can get out there and help so many people.
"We also have 100’s of trades people on board that have signed up to offer their services throughout the UK. And many more. Thank u so much for all the support out their for these survivors!"
The venture started for Ms Ben-Moussa when she worked on the house of a woman who had just left her abusive partner."I looked around, I saw in her living room there was nowhere for her family to recover," she told ITV News. "There was no flooring, no lights...there were holes in all the walls. There was nowhere, anywhere, for them to recover as a family."
The woman, who has children, said she was going to pay for the materials out of her benefits - "I just couldn't stand that," said Ms Ben-Moussa.
All the money raised is used to pay for materials and other tradespeople if necessary, with Ms Ben-Moussa, who runs the Lady In Red Plastering Service, giving two days a week of her time to complete work for free.
Pressures from the coronavirus pandemic have heightened the risk of domestic abuse, with a record number of cases being dealt with by the family courts.
One in five offences – more than a quarter of a million – recorded by police during and immediately after the first national lockdown in England and Wales involved domestic abuse, according to the Office for National Statistics.Where to get help if you're in an abusive relationship
Call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline for free and confidential advice, 24 hours a day on 0808 2000 247.
Women's Aid has a range of direct services for survivors, including a live chat service and an online Survivors’ Forum.
The Men’s Advice Line is a confidential helpline for male victims of domestic abuse and those supporting them. Contact on: 0808 801 0327.
Galop runs the National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse specialist helpline. Contact: 0800 999 5428. Email: help@galop.org.uk.
Chayn provides online help and resources in a number of languages about identifying manipulative situations and how friends can support those being abused
Safe Spaces are available in pharmacies across the UK, including Boots, Superdrug and Morrisons. Once inside, you will find specialist domestic abuse support information. Some Safe Spaces will respond to the Ask for ANI codeword.
NSPCC helpline offers advice and support for anyone with concerns about a child.