This afternoon, I had the pleasure of visiting Sutton Women’s Centre to hear more about the incredible services they offer and meet the team.
Sutton Women’s Centre, located on Palmerston Road, has been providing local women with valuable sessions and safe spaces for the past 30 years. Run by local women for over 200 women a week, the Centre runs a variety of services, including domestic abuse support, parenting workshops, employment services, and English as a Second Language classes.
Along with the Sutton and Cheam MP, Paul Scully, I was delighted to meet with Anna Cummins from the Centre and tour their new extension which was built last year with help from the local community. This extra space means Anna and her team can provide counselling sessions to 30 extra women per week, as well as provide more space for art sessions and wellbeing workshops.
Coronavirus has had a profound impact on people’s mental health, and I was encouraged to hear how the Centre has been able to support local women through this difficult time. Lockdown has meant the Centre has had to move the majority of their services online, however Anna, her team of permanent staff, and over 35 volunteers have risen to this challenge and have continued to provide support to those who need it.
We also had the opportunity to discuss the Domestic Abuse Bill, which I am pleased to support as it progresses through Parliament. The Bill will create a legal definition of domestic abuse to provide clarity that domestic abuse can be financial, verbal and emotional as well as physical and sexual. Measures in the Bill also include the introduction of new Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and Domestic Abuse Protection Orders to further protect victims and place restrictions on the actions of offenders. Anna, Paul, and I discussed the importance of this bill for victims, as well as how to get businesses engaged in supporting employees experiencing domestic abuse.
Thank you again to Anna and her team for inviting us down. You can find out more about the services Sutton Women’s Centre offer here, as well as ways to get involved in their fantastic work.