Reporter Pete Henshaw finds out why Crewe Women's Refuge is so vital to victims of domestic violence.

THINGS are looking up for Crewe's Women's Refuge after around 100 members of the community banded together to provide a host of new supporters.

Crewe Refuge is host to a surprisingly vast and in-depth service provided by co-ordinator Lily Jones and her colleagues.

Apart from offering a place for abused or scared women to stay there are numerous other services, not least a telephone helpline.

The line is open 24 hours a day and on practically every day of the year for anyone seeking advice.

Lily also explained that through the line, a place in the refuge can be arranged within hours of the phone call, or if you are unsure a tour or a friendly chat can be set up.

There is no obligation if you call and a lot of other information can be obtained.

Lily has access to specialist family solicitors and other support agencies which can help any women decide their next step.

"In a domestic violence situation women do not have to take any action themselves, like complaining to the police, they can come here even if they just need some respite," explained Lily.

"Women can stay here anything from one hour onwards, and we have had one woman here for over 12 months."

The refuge also provides day to day counselling, but if more is needed then women can be referred to specialists, such as Survival in Nantwich Road, Crewe.

"A lot of the help the women get here is from each other, they support each other and they realise they are not on their own," explained Lily.

Help with benefits and applications is also on offer as many residents do not know their full entitlement when they arrive.

"We maximise their benefits and we also help with any applications for permanent housing," Lily added.

There are superb play facilities for the children which stay at the refuge with their mothers and playgroups are run for the pre-schoolers as well as after school groups for the older children.

The children have a huge range of facilities with computers, games and arts and crafts materials and the adults are not left out as the refuge also enjoys regular visits from beauticians and aromatherapists.

After speaking with some of the residents at Crewe's refuge the overwhelming feeling is one of support and confidence.

"A lot of people think that if you go into a refuge you will get no support and lose your children but this is not true," one resident told this reporter.

"If this place were to get closed down I do not know what I would do and that is my constant worry."

Residents have been helped through their custody battles, helped with their children and everyone at the refuge has a tremendous respect for the staff and the help they have received.

"It makes us realise that not everything that has gone wrong is our fault, I would love to come back here and help, I would like to be able to put something back in," said a resident.

The refuge has been going since 1977 and with the tremendous local support shown recently for the charity it looks likely the good work will continue.

CASE STUDY

The case of Anna and her young son Thomas is typical of the women at Crewe Women's Aid.

Anna has been at the refuge for around a month and left her home and her husband after he became violent through drink.

Her husband never actually hit her but she lived in constant fear of being hit and left when she realised the problem was getting worse and when he came the closest yet to hitting her.

She now lives at the refuge with her son and says the help she received here has been invaluable and the closure of the refuge would be a great shame.

"They helped me to get my head together here and decide what I was going to do," explained Anna.

"I have met him since and I realise he is not going to change," she added.

"You can get counselling here but they are not pushy, you can wait until you are ready to talk and they are here to listen."

The Christmas donations and presents have helped to make Anna and Thomas' holidays a bit more bearable, but if the refuge closed because of lack of support they could be some of the last to receive such help.

"It would be a pity if they closed it, it is not the ideal place to be at Christmas but if it closed I would have to go back to him," Anna added.

THE Refuge's telephone help line is 01270 250390. The line is open 24 hours every day and for every day of the year and any woman experiencing abuse, whether it be mental or physical can ring for information, advice or just to talk about their situation.