Service for women may stop
A service to support women and children caught up in domestic violence may have to be withdrawn unless funding is secured.
A service to support women and children caught up in domestic violence may have to be withdrawn unless funding is secured.
Oswestry's Women's Aid has submitted a bid to Oswestry Town Council for £9,000 to maintain a project to help those experiencing domestic violence in the area.
The project was launched after the group received a small amount of funding from Shropshire County Council in 2005 to run a pilot project across Oswestry, allowing a voluntary support worker to be paid for 18.5 hours' work per week.
It was a huge success and the organisation says there is now a high expectation in the borough for the service to continue, but the funding has come to an end.
Nicola Fisher, chairwoman of Shropshire and Oswestry Women's Aid, said: "Unfortunately, community safety funding priorities have changed in the county, so we are seeking funding from the council in order to sustain this project until long term funding can be secured."
Support worker Ursula Hewllett is currently working on a voluntary basis after funding to pay her wages and rent on the office in Oswestry dried up.
She said: "I am happy to volunteer, but need paid employment. If we don't secure funding, the service may have to be withdrawn."