Preston Domestic Violence Service (PDVS) has been awarded a £9,628 grant to increase the support it can offer women affected by domestic abuse.

The money has been allocated through Lancashire Community Foundation’s Women’s Fund, which aims to address address key issues and eliminate barriers for women and girls in the county.

PDVS is one of eight grass roots organisations in Lancashire to be awarded a share of the £70,000 pot which is funded through the Tampon Tax Community Fund.

This redistributes money collected through VAT on sanitary products to organisations working to run projects and services which will directly benefit women and girls.

PDVS has been allocated the funding to increase its one to one support through its outreach services and run a weekly peer support group.

This is the second round of funding the Community Foundation for Lancashire has awarded through its Lancashire Women’s Fund with funding from the Tampon Tax Community Fund.

The fund has helped women and girls of all ages that are experiencing issues such as period poverty, domestic and sexual abuse, social isolation and mental health issues.

Rae Brooke, Chief Executive for the Community Foundation for Lancashire, said: “Our Lancashire Women’s Fund supports the groups on the ground that are making a huge difference to the lives of women and girls.

“We know there is huge demand out there for these services and are proud to help small organisations working in our community to access vital funding they may otherwise miss out on.”

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It is the second time UK Community Foundations have been selected by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to distribute the largest share of Tampon Tax funding.

This money has been raised through the levy on sanitary products and is passed along to small, local projects, working through the national network of Community Foundations – including the Community Foundation for Lancashire.

Idle Women in Blackburn has received a grant of £9,786 to provide horticultural workshops at their Medicine Nursery, whilst the Billy Project in Blackburn has been awarded a grant of £9,893 to offer free gym sessions to women who normally wouldn’t be able to access a gym.

Another group benefitting from the funds is P.E.P. Enterprises CIC in Accrington who have received £9,860 to deliver confidence and skill building sessions, including IT and English language lessons to help women get back into work or further education.

Read More: How you can bag funding for your favourite Preston community group or charity

The Lancashire Women’s Fund was launched in 2018 and has since distributed over £140,000 to grassroots organisations working with women or girls facing multiple challenges; user-led organisations and sustainable projects providing long-term solutions.

Community Foundations are local champions for connecting people and organisations that want to improve their communities, investing in local people and organisations to tackle some of the biggest issues facing communities today and supporting some of society’s most disadvantaged people.

They provide help and advice to those who want to give at the heart of their communities, both now and in the long-term, by matching donors to important local causes.

For further information about the Fund’s purpose, visit their website. www.lancsfoundation.org.uk/womens-fund

What do you think about the way the funding is used? Let us know in the comments section.