It has been a successful year for Lochaber Women’s Aid.
Lochaber Women’s Aid (LWA) is an organisation that provides specialist support and services to women, children and young people affected by domestic abuse in Lochaber.
To empower women on their journey, the charity offers courses for personal development such as the Own My Life course.
Own My Life helps those affected by domestic abuse gain ownership and control in their lives. Recently, LWA celebrated eight of their graduates who completed the course.
Lochaber Women’s Aid are ‘proud’ of their graduates
LWA shared a congratulations post on Facebook, saying they are ‘very proud’ of their clients who took part. “[We] have loved noticing personal growth within the group and the support network created.”
The charity also regularly run an evening art group, allowing members to get social and boost their mental health.
Over the past few months, attendees made Christmas crafts to fundraise for the LWA service.
The art group successfully raised £200 after attending craft fairs at New Connections and Lundavra School.
The charity are thankful to the community for their support
Lochaber Women’s Aid also share their appreciation for those who have donated and purchased items for the Giving Tree.
Local business Cruise Loch Linnhe filled eight Giving Tree envelopes, and the Lochaber Community Fundraising group also donated £800.
Community Prevention Co-ordinator Grace MacIntosh says the charity are ‘completely overwhelmed’ by the community’s support.
“The money will go towards funding service user activities in the coming year which give our service users an opportunity to unwind and have some fun.”
16 Days of Activism
LWA also participated in the 16 Days of Activism campaign on social media, which aims to challenge gender-based violence. The posts discussed topics such as trauma, community safety and more.
Statistics were used to highlight the impact of domestic abuse, and links were made available to helpful projects and charities.
The 16 Days of Activism campaign also raises awareness of the cost of living crisis, and its impact on women experiencing domestic abuse.
The Cost of Leaving campaign calls on the Scottish Government to implement a leaving fund. In 2020, the Government agreed to the recommendation for a leaving fund, but it is yet to be enacted.
Campaigners continue to fight for the fund, and advise the public to write to their local MSP to share their stance.
If you have concerns for your relationship or a friend’s, or have any questions regarding the LWA service, their contact information is accessible here.
You can also follow their Facebook page or their Instagram for updates.
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