Council commits to working with domestic abuse charity to further enhance domestic abuse support services 

31 March 2025

As part of its ongoing efforts to enhance and improve domestic abuse support services, Cheshire East Council has agreed a 12-month extension to its refuge provision contract with MyCWA (known as Cheshire Without Abuse) to ensure continued support for victims of domestic abuse across the borough.  

The extension will enable the domestic abuse charity to continue to provide 16 units of accommodation in Cheshire East.    

Councillor Laura Crane, chair of Cheshire East Council’s children and families committee, said: “Supporting victims of domestic abuse in Cheshire East is and remains a priority. Our Domestic Abuse Family Safety Unit works tirelessly to ensure victims know support is always available. The council not only offers a comprehensive suite of services but also works hard to maintains robust relationships with local organisations. 

“To ensure continuity of support for victims of domestic abuse, we are extending our contract with MyCWA, ensuring adequate refuge provision for the coming year. During this period, we will continue to redesign our domestic abuse services to guarantee integrated support for children, young people, victims, and perpetrators of domestic abuse.” 

“As someone who has personally used these services, I am committed to actively promoting access to our support services and highlighting the essential and impactful work our domestic abuse team does." 

This comes as Cheshire East Council will launch its new Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy for public consultation in the coming months. This strategy will determine a comprehensive vision for domestic abuse support across Cheshire East, extending beyond council-supported services. By incorporating the views of the community, this strategy will guide stakeholders in ways to best support victims of domestic abuse throughout the borough, with a new redesigned model implemented from April 2026. 

Saskia Lightburn-Ritchie, chief executive officer of MyCWA, said: “We welcome this extension of refuge accommodation funding, which will allow us to continue supporting vulnerable families and individuals to escape and heal from abuse. We also look forward to the voices of the Cheshire East community being heard in the upcoming public consultation, and survivors themselves being able to help shape the future of domestic abuse support across Cheshire East.” 

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, help is available. Contact the Cheshire East Domestic Abuse Hub on 0300 123 5101, or in an emergency, call 999. More information is available at http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/domesticabuse.