50thBirthday Archives - Women’s Aid

History of Women’s Aid training and education

Ellen Hammett — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 15:10:56 +0000

Women’s Aid’s training and education: a history

Training has been an integral part of Women’s Aid’s mission to end domestic abuse since the very beginning. From the early wave of 1970s feminism through to the present day, here’s how our training has evolved from a small, regional offering to the nationally recognised and accredited provider that it is today.

Early days: 1970s -1980s

Set up in Bristol in 1974, Women’s Aid was established at the heart of the women’s liberation movement. As a small network of refuges at the time, training was organised at a local level, with staff educating support groups on core issues such as equality and anti-racism, and any other specific training needs they had.

Our annual National Conference was formed around this time, which is where we began running informal training workshops. In 1987 we set up the first national domestic abuse helpline and established our first formal training programme for helpline volunteers.

Training starts to evolve: 1990s and early 2000s

The 1990s marked a period of change for Women’s Aid’s training. At a time when domestic abuse was becoming a greater political issue, training became much more closely linked with our political lobbying. We started to deliver training externally and on subject-specific areas, including:

Commissioning a training programme for children’s workers on the back of the Children Act in 1989 and Child Support act in 1991.
Working with London Lighthouse to deliver training on HIV/Aids.
Training to the police – an essential part of our work which continues to this day.
Training to the Royal College of Midwives.

With demand for training only increasing and still with no staff dedicated to training at the time, we eventually received funding for two training staff: a coordinator and administrator. This allowed us to start rolling out a national training programme with a focus on training refuge and outreach workers on issues such as legal protection, homelessness and housing law, welfare benefits and child contact.

In the days before email and with everything still on floppy discs, staff would travel across the country with flipcharts and bundles of photocopied materials they had spent hours printing and stapling together.

We developed a high standard of training during these years, but by the early 2000s it became clear we needed something more official. We got to work on an accredited training programme.

"We were very much a survivor-led organisation so involving them in what they thought was important was a big thing."

Thangam Debbonaire, National Children’s Officer, 1991-1998

Women’s Aid’s National Training Centre is established: mid-2000s

Women’s Aid National Training Centre, as it was known for many years, was officially established in the mid-2000s. With funding from Comic Relief, manager Jacqui Kilburn and trainer Dr Bianca Petkova were able to develop and pilot an accredited qualification; it took around two years from start to finish.

The initial pilot included 13 units and 52 assignments per person and took place over the course of a year in an old hotel in Durham where Henry VIII had often stayed. Staff remember it being full of character and have many anecdotes to share about flickering lights and doors opening and closing on their own accord.

"It was a really lovely experience and we all knew each other really well by the end of it – we still keep in touch with some of those people today."

Jacqui Kilburn, co-developer of the National Qualification and head of training and education, 2007-2024

Our national qualification was eventually reduced to four units and we evolved the Certificate to Diploma level – the highest credit-based qualification for the sector – alongside introducing an Award in ‘tackling and preventing domestic abuse’ for the general public.

We started to deliver training internationally, with trainers working through the night to accommodate time zones and even travelling abroad to the likes of France, Serbia, Georgia and the Isles of Scilly.

Alongside our core qualifications, we have developed a diverse range of CPD courses and programmes for facilitators over the years. We continue to work closely with police forces, health services and local authorities, while also designing bespoke training for employers, legal teams, universities, schools, night economy staff and more.

Becoming Women’s Aid Training & Education

The coronavirus pandemic welcomed in a new hybrid era for Women’s Aid’s training team. With all of our training taking place in person up until that point, staff worked quickly to ensure a smooth transition online.

Within six months, we had started delivering 100% of training remotely, enabling more people to access our courses than ever before. It opened up an even larger international audience for us – from Australia to South Africa to South America.

With our growing portfolio and team of specialists, we have been able to significantly expand our reach within the sector and beyond. We rebranded to Women’s Aid Training & Education in 2024, which now includes our children and young people team who have trained thousands of teachers and young people to-date.

Our core feminist, survivor-led principles are the same as they always have been. But as culture, research and policy shifts, we recognise the need to evolve and adapt so that our training reflects the changing world we live in. It is why we redeveloped our Power of Change group programme after the pandemic and why DA Matters now includes coercive control.

While awareness of domestic abuse has increased over the past 50 years, we know there is much work to be done. We will continue to expand our training offering based on our members’ needs, increase access to training through the creation of more digital learning opportunities, and build on our corporate training. This will ensure we have the reach and impact needed to drive meaningful change across society, today and in future.

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Donation form – 50th birthday

Jess Milton — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 12:29:07 +0000

Donate to Women’s Aid

This year marks 50 years since the Women’s Aid federation in England was founded.

Your donations allow us to provide life-saving services to survivors. Services where they are given a space to be heard and believed.

If you experience any issues donating online, please contact fundraising@womensaid.org.uk directly.

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50th Birthday

Chloe Browning — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 09:23:13 +0000

Women’s Aid turns 50

We marked 50 years since the Women’s Aid federation in England was founded, officially making this our golden anniversary.

While there’s been a lot of positive change since 1974, the reality for countless women and children today is still far from golden. We will not stop until women and children are safe from domestic abuse. 

We are committed to building a more inclusive, future-facing federation, where every survivor, including those women who face additional barriers, can get support in a way that meets their needs, when they need it.  

No Woman Turned Away

Supporting women and their children fleeing domestic abuse, who face barriers when trying to access a safe refuge.

Driving change

Despite the significant milestones that have been reached over the last 50 years – from the introduction of the Domestic Abuse Act, through to the criminalisation of coercive control – there is so much more to do. Domestic abuse is still devastatingly common, with so many women and children suffering in silence. It quite frankly hides in plain sight.

Our 50th birthday year coincided with a general election, providing an important opportunity to influence much needed change. 2024 saw the powerful culmination of Women’s Aid’s Come Together to End Domestic Abuse campaign, highlighting the vital role everyone has to play in ending abuse. #EndAbuseTogether the campaign hashtag, drew together the incredible range of positive action happening across our members, partners, supporters and national activities. 

The Come Together campaign asks for five actions: 

Make a change where you are

Domestic abuse doesn’t just affect relationships – it affects you in all areas of your life. £316m is lost to UK businesses each year because of domestic abuse. Tell your employer, your school, your club or an organisation that you work with about domestic abuse, download a poster to raise awareness in communal spaces or ask Women’s Aid to come in and speak to your teams.  

Dispel myths about domestic abuse and challenge sexism and misogyny

Domestic abuse doesn’t happen because you provoked the abuser and it isn’t your fault if you are being abused by your partner – sexist attitudes to women’s roles and men’s roles must be challenged to end domestic abuse. 

Take action, your voice counts

Join campaigns for better protection for survivors or fundraise at work or in your own time to enable us to make a change. You can put on an event or take part in a challenge. You can also donate to Women’s Aid for our lifesaving services, or to your local organisation here. Don’t forget to use your voice to vote too, calling for political parties to prioritise a whole-systems response to domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women and girls. 

Learn what to say to someone experiencing abuse

Women’s Aid can help you understand the reasons why it may not be easy to just leave. Be an advocate and join campaigns for better protection for survivors or fundraise to enable us to make a vital change. You can put on an event or take part in a challenge. You can also donate to Women’s Aid to support our lifesaving work, or to your local domestic abuse charity here. 

Speak up/out on social media

Show we are standing up against domestic abuse together. Send us photos and stories about what you are doing in your local area or online to help stop domestic abuse and support survivors. We want to show positive examples of how we can make a difference to encourage others to join us. 

Will you Come Together and donate today?

We’re asking everyone to Come Together to End Domestic Abuse; we cannot do this without your support. Your donations allow us to provide life-saving services to survivors. Services where they are given a space to be heard and believed.

The here and now

As we moved into our 50th year with a wealth of research about the attitudes that underpin domestic abuse from the Come Together campaign, we are ready to translate learning from our attitudes survey and influencers and attitudes report into action.  

This knowledge and insight will be the golden thread that runs through all our work – everything from popular culture – TV, film and football to providing expert advice, commentary and training. And we’ll be centring our focus on children and young people with work across education and awareness; seeking further funding to enhance our support and campaigning with young people. 

Shop the archive collection

In honour of Women’s Aid turning 50, we’ve delved deep into our vaults to transform art and posters from the beginning of the federation into an iconic range of merchandise. 

Celebrate with us!

Download our free resources and celebrate Women’s aid turning 50!

Download our 50th Birthday bunting
Download our 50th Birthday poster (for members)
Download our 50th Birthday fundraising poster

Ending abuse for good

We have an exciting programme of content and events planned to raise awareness of the reality of domestic abuse in our society right now, but also to build moments of celebration recognising what has been achieved over the past half-a-century by our incredible national network and what we can achieve in sisterhood for generations ahead.  

As we look to the next 50 years as an organisation, we are resolute in our aim to reduce and eventually eradicate domestic abuse.

Join our movement to create the first generation where domestic abuse no longer exists. 

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