Youlgrave WI Donated over £100 to Support Survivors of Domestic Abuse
The Elm Foundation is celebrating a generous £101 donation from Youlgrave Women’s Institute towards “A Simple Voucher: A World of Difference” campaign. This vital initiative provides supermarket vouchers to women and children arriving at refuge, often with nothing but the clothes they are wearing.
What would you take with you if you had minutes to flee your house?
For those fleeing domestic abuse, financial control by abusers means many arrive without money or access to essentials. A simple voucher can make an immediate impact—offering food, comfort, and dignity at a time of crisis. Just £5 can provide a nourishing meal for a mother and child, while £20 can cover a days’ worth of groceries, helping families focus on settling into safety.
Margaret endured over 40+ years of control and coercion from her husband. One day she jumped out of the moving car that her husband was driving and walked to our centre and was met by one of our staff and this started her journey into refuge and eventually onto an independent and safe life.
As Margaret’s Husband did, many abusers also control their partner’s finances, so people leave with little money and no easy access to their finances.
A Simple Voucher…
By donating a supermarket voucher or money towards this campaign, you are providing immediate food for women and children arriving at refuge. There is so much work that needs to be done to support their personal needs when people arrive with us, that this kind gift instantly offers nourishment and the chance for them to sit and have their first meal in safety and choose themselves what they would like to buy:
A £5 voucher can pay for a tomato pasta meal and drinks for a Mum and her child.
A £10 voucher can source some staples they can keep in their own kitchen cupboard.
A £25 voucher can buy 1 days food to enable the focus to be on settling in.
…Making a world of difference
“Youlgrave WI’s donation will go directly into the hands of those who need it most,” said Fundraising Manager for The Elm Foundation. “It’s more than food—it’s a message that they are not alone and that others care.”
Every voucher is a lifeline, helping survivors take their first steps toward rebuilding their lives free from fear. Thank you to Youlgrave WI for extending a hand of kindness and making a World of Difference.
