CoVASS against unequal HC funding policy for Women & Children

CoVASS the Community Violence and Abuse Support Service works with women, children and young people across Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey and surrounding areas.  As a registered charity we rely on funding from various sources including the Highland Council in order to continue this much needed work.

We have recently managed to get access to the Highland Council's funding figures for other Violence Against Women services and we have discovered that the women, chidlren and young people of Nairn, Baenoch & Strathspey are valued much less than residents of other areas.  These are the figures we've found for 2009-10.

Inverness Women's Aid received £233,546 from HC, 54% of their required funding

Lochaber Women's Aid received £102,692 from HC, 52% of their required funding

Ross-shire Women's Aid received £243,673 from HC, 49% of their required funding

Caithness & Sutherland Women's Aid received £158,660 from HC, 47% of their required funding

Community Violence and Abuse Support Service received £8661 from HC, 6% of required funding

All groups are required to present statistics to show how the money is spent and in 2009-10 COVASS supported 139 women compared to 58 in Lochaber and 59 in Inverness. We have asked Highland Council to increase the level of funding to COVASS in line with other groups doing the same work but we have been told we are not to receive any more.

We object that women, children and young people in Nairn & Badenoch & Strathspey are treated as less valuable thn those in other Highland areas.  We believe that all women, children and young people across Highland should be treated equally and Highland Council should look again at their funding strategy to ensure they are operating within their equal opportunities policy.

If you agree that vulnerable women, children and young people of Nairn and Badenoch & Strathspey are being poorly and unfairly served by the Highland Council and that the Highland Council should operate a fair funding strategy for Violence Against Women Services, pelase add your name to our petition which will be presented at the next meeting COVASS has with th Highland Council.