Havant MP Alan Mak has urged everyone to vote online for a local domestic abuse charity in order to help them secure £25,000 worth of funding.
The MP cast his vote for Havant-based charity Southern Domestic Abuse Service (SDAS), to receive money from the Aviva Community Fund. The most popular organisations go into the finals, where a panel of judges decide whether to award funds of up to £25,000.
SDAS hope the money will fund a playroom and garden in a refuge that will help children who are victims of domestic abuse and domestic violence deal with their trauma and enjoy some of the normal childhood experiences.
It comes after Mr Mak ‘bought a brick’ to help support SDAS during their Buy a Brick campaign, which aims to raise funds to build a specialist domestic abuse safe house in south Hampshire.
Mr Mak said: “I was delighted to vote for SDAS and I encourage everyone to get online to help this excellent local charity. SDAS has a strong record to attracting grants and I’m pleased I successfully lobbied the government to give them a £190,000 cash boost this year. Providing shelter to victims of domestic abuse is an essential service and I’ll continue my efforts going forward to help them secure more funds.”
Claire Lambon, CEO of SDAS, said: “It is great that Alan was able to cast his vote for us, but we need as many of you as possible to get behind this campaign. This grant will help us to help these children deal with their trauma through therapeutic play activities, helping them to express themselves safely, giving us the potential to help break the cycle of abuse so they can move on to live their lives free from abuse.”
To vote visit community-fund.aviva.co.uk and search for Southern Domestic Abuse Service. The vote closes at 12 noon on 18 November.