Stop closure of Sydenham House Women’s Refuge Centre

The Socialist Party can exclusively reveal that Sydenham Women’s Refuge in East Belfast is due to close as a result of the Assembly Executives cuts. The decision to close such a vital service for women fleeing abusive relationships must be condemned. Sydenham House Women’s Refuge Centre is the only centre in the area that takes in children as well as women who are victims of domestic violence. The refuge which was funded by the Housing Executive’s Supporting People programme is set to close on 31st October.  

The loss of this essential service is a direct result of the cuts being agreed in Stormont by all the Executive parties and it is the most vulnerable in society who are paying the price. The expertise of the five workers currently in the refuge must be preserved and a campaign to save the refuge must be launched.

Action needed to save service

Local politicians have done nothing to defend the refuge. Immediate action must be taken to keep Sydenham Women’s Refuge open. The local community together with women’s rights groups and the trade unions should unite to demand that victims of domestic violence are protected.

When the politicians in Stormont speak about implementing cuts to protect ‘frontline services’, they are lying. The cuts the Executive has been implementing are directly leading to vital services being destroyed. Workers and local communities affected must organise to resist these cuts. The Socialist Party will not silently watch our services cut to extinction while the greedy bankers and fat cats who caused this recession continue to receive bonuses and major profits.”

 

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