By Press Release
As the staff, and the hundreds of women supported WightDASH, come to terms with the sudden announcement of its closure, as reported last week, CEO of the charity, Fiona Gwinnett, sat down for a chat with the IW Observer.
Her main message is: “It’s a tragedy to lose us with all our experience.”
For the last 32 years, WightDASH has offered specialist support, primarily to Island women and children who have been victims of abuse. Fiona has worked for the charity for the past 20 years and said: “It’s been easier for me, because I have known for a little while, but it is a tragedy to lose so much specialist experience in this field.
“We have a team of nine with around 120 years of experience between them who deliver our services and help about 600 women a year. We offer psychological programmes and recovery and trauma services. At the moment, we are doing all we can to signpost the women to other organisations on the Island, but it means there will be greater demand on the local mental health services.
“The situation will become much more difficult in terms of individuals and families who will have to fall back on those other services.
“But the hard fact is, we can’t afford to run the centre; we have no income. We had one contract with the local authority but it ended in March. People just don’t have the money to donate nowadays, following Covid and the cost-of-living crisis. It was the perfect storm and wasn’t a decision I took lightly.
“People don’t recognise just how difficult it is and the centre costs £300,000 a year to run. Our staff have all this experience and need to be paid properly, and there are all the other costs to pay.
“If we were to end our services, the centre would just become a hub and it was important to be true to the aims and principles to our founders.”
Fiona also paid tribute to charity fundraiser, Peter May, and his ‘To be in her shoes’ walks in high heels which have helped raise thousands of pounds.
She added: “We were able to keep going for so long thanks to Peter’s fund-raising and donations.”
