Mayor announces new £3million investment to support grassroots community groups tackling violence against women and girls

• Targeted funding will help 36 community organisations deliver tailored support for thousands of women and girls affected by violence and exploitation across London 
• Latest action is part of the Mayor’s record £233m package to tackle violence against women and girls and builds on the first phase of grassroots fund which supported more than 30,000 women, girls and families between 2021 and 2023
• Specialist one-to-one support will be provided to underrepresented groups including women from minoritised communities, women involved in prostitution, and women with disabilities.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced a fresh £3million investment in his Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Grassroots Fund to deliver tailored support for thousands of women and girls affected by violence and exploitation in London.

The targeted funding will build on the success of the initial £3m MOPAC VAWG Grassroots Fund which supported 41 organisations and over 30,000 women, girls and families from minoritised communities, between 2021 and 2023.

The renewed action to help women and girls from underrepresented communities comes amid warnings from charities that the ongoing cost-of-living crisis makes it more difficult for survivors of domestic abuse to rebuild their lives, forcing them into debt and, in some cases, to stay with their abusers.¹

The Mayor’s Grassroots Fund will work to ensure the most vulnerable women and girls have access to the specialist help they need and deserve where they are.

All 36 grassroots organisations receiving investment from the Mayor’s fund are rooted in, and led by, the communities that they serve and will work locally to provide access to legal advice, counselling, emergency housing and other key services.

The investment is part of the Mayor’s dedicated action to support local community organisations working with women and girls from Black, Asian and minority-ethnic communities and other underrepresented groups, including women involved in prostitution, those with No Recourse to Public Funds and women with disabilities.

The Mayor’s Grassroots VAWG fund is part of the record £233m investment he has overseen to tackle violence against women and girls, address waiting lists and keep doors open for vital specialist support services for victims and survivors during the cost-of-living crisis.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I am determined to ensure that ending violence against women and girls is treated with the utmost urgency by our police and society as a whole. Local grassroots services know their communities and are best placed to help, but we know the ongoing cost-of-living crisis is having an unprecedented impact on women and children experiencing violence and abuse and the life-saving services they need.

“That’s why I have today announced £3million more in funding for my Violence Against Women and Girls Grassroots Fund to help keep doors open for key and specialised services for underrepresented communities who too often have nowhere to turn.

“As we continue to work together to build a safer London for everyone, I’m determined to do everything I can to help these organisations which are experiencing a surge in demand to support more women and girls. I look forward to working closely with the new Government in the coming months to do even more to support the most vulnerable in our society and help them access the one-to-one help they desperately need and deserve.”

Sister Circle CEO, Karen Wint, said: "For us as an organization, this grant came at a critical time for our counselling service, supporting women with emotional and mental scars of female genital cutting. Being able to offer the service in multiple community languages means more women can access our service. This helps us deliver expert care and improve the wellbeing and long-term mental health of women and girls who have been through this ordeal.”

Lynne Tooze, Door of Hope Manager at Beyond the Streets said: “We are very grateful for the support from this funding  We  work with  some of the most vulnerable women in our communities and the fact that MOPAC support this work sends a message . We are all valuable and all deserve support.”

Paul Buchanan, Interim CEO of The London Community Foundation: “We are very proud to work with MOPAC on this crucial work to tackle violence against women and girls. This type of targeted funding and support for specialist organisations is vital. The importance of offering services which are tailored to the different needs of those affected by violence against women and girls in London cannot be overstated.”