Much More Than Just a Coat of Paint for Local Women’s Refuge

When Inverness Women’s Aid applied for funding to improve the temporary accommodation for victims of domestic abuse needing a safe haven, we knew the project was right up our street.

“At the B&Q Foundation we believe that everyone deserves a safe place to live and this project will go a long way in making temporary accommodation feel more like a home to women and their families at a traumatic time,” said Jeannie Pitt, B&Q Foundation Manager.

Although domestic abuse can take many different forms – psychological, physical, financial or even digital – any of these might escalate to a woman or family needing support or a safe space for a while.

This is where Inverness Women’s Aid comes in. They’ve been supporting women, children and young people across Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey for 43 years. They offer a range of services and dedicated advice on legal, housing and safety issues, as well as a wide range of support and temporary accommodation.

Safe Spaces

We awarded the full £5000 grant in 2021 to allow for repainting areas in the Refuge, a temporary block of seven flats for those in need. In the last year alone, the flats have been home to 19 women and 23 children, giving them a comfortable base in which to recover.

This high turnover of residents naturally results in a high level of wear and tear. The grant has achieved maximum benefit by repainting rooms in every single one of the flats, making them more homely and comfortable to future residents. The families also have access to the essentials – a laundry, lounge and playroom – spaces vital for them as they put their lives back together.

“Our accommodation is so important,” said Elaine Fetherston, Manager of Inverness Women’s Aid. “It’s a safe haven for women and their families at a time of massive upset and upheaval, after leaving the family home, uprooting their lives and changing the children’s schools.”

Healing Places

“Environment is vital when people have been through trauma like this. If their surroundings are a bit tired and worn, it has an impact on their outlook as they recover. With this grant from the B&Q Foundation we’ve been able to redecorate the flats and now they give a brilliant first impression to the families as they arrive. It makes them feel valued. It shows them they’re worth something. And that’s the most important step in their recovery.”

“It might seem like a simple act – freshening up the flats – but to our women and their families it symbolises much, much more than that. It means a fresh start.”