Pictured: Team Leader Dawn Green (centre middle row) with
fellow Midcounties Co-operative volunteers at the refuge in
Stratford-upon-Avon
A Stratford-upon-Avon refuge for women and children affected by
domestic violence has been given a fresh look by volunteers from
The Midcounties Co-operative.
Ten colleagues from the community retailer's Personnel Services
Department swapped their day jobs to take up paint brushes and
redecorate two of the refuge's self contained flats.
Team Leader Dawn Green said: "We emulsioned the walls and
painted the skirting boards and it made quite a difference. It was
hard work but good fun too. We wanted to take on this particular
community challenge because our charity partner is Women's Aid, the
key national charity working to end domestic violence against women
and children."
The refuge is a large house converted into five self-contained
flats with a communal living room, kitchen and office. Owned by
Orbit Housing Association, it helps around 52 families a year in
need of short-term accommodation.
Rachel Dempsey, Services Manager for Warwickshire Domestic
Violence Support Services, which manages the refuge, said: "The
Midcounties volunteers did a fantastic job; they were absolute
stars. The residents were consulted and chose the paint colours and
they were delighted with the results.
"Many women come to refuge feeling worthless. It is amazing how
much difference a lick of paint can make to uplift the spirits of
women and make them feel valued.
"The refuge opened six years ago and can accommodate larger
families and help them stay together. We give priority to local
women from the Stratford district, then the wider Warwickshire area
and then nationally."
The Midcounties Co-operative has an extensive colleague
volunteer programme that takes on all types of challenges to assist
local people and organisations and to help the participants to
develop personally and as a team. Each colleague can spend up to
three days a year on volunteering activity as part of their paid
work time.
Midcounties is supporting the work of Women's Aid nationally and
eleven local services that operate within its trading areas,
including refuges at Wolverhampton, Walsall, Shropshire, Wyre
Forest, Warwickshire, Wycombe, Oxfordshire, The Forest of Dean and
Gloucestershire. Colleagues are raising money, taking part in
volunteering projects and getting involved in campaign work for
their charity partner.