A domestic abuse service has been granted almost £30,000 from the government’s tampon tax fund to support victims and homeless women.

Trafford Domestic Abuse Services (TDAS) was awarded £29,579 from the charity Homeless Link’s grants programme.

The scheme aims to end women’s homelessness and is directly funded by the government’s tampon tax fund.

TDAS said it will use the funding to offer expert advice for women in refuges, temporary and supported accommodation and those sleeping rough to support them to process and move on from their experiences as well as helping them to resettle in the community.

The service will also support women who have resettled in the community to maintain their tenancies, stay safe; preventing them from becoming homeless.

TDAS is one of 29 charities across England that work with women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, to receive a grant. Almost 200 organisations applied for a portion of the £1.85 million pot.

Homeless Link’s figures state more than 640 women sleep rough on the UK’s streets every night and thousands more do not have access to a safe or suitable home.

The charity’s funding programme aims to help end women’s homelessness by funding services that directly support women and victims of trauma.

Samantha Fisher, TDAS CEO, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded this grant. We are seeing more and more women and children requiring support to prevent them becoming homeless.

“This funding will enable us to reach out to them sooner, offering them the interventions they need to break free from domestic abuse and preventing homelessness.”

The charities receiving the grants were chosen by a cross-sector, all-woman panel, including women with personal experience of homelessness.

Tasmin Maitland, Homeless Link’s assistant director of practice,  said: “Women’s homelessness is a growing crisis. Despite this, women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness are one of the most marginalised groups in our society and the specialist support that they need is often lacking or non-existent.

“We are delighted to be able to award TDAS a grant that will have a real impact on the support that women experiencing homelessness in Trafford receive, and ultimately contribute to ending women’s homelessness for good.”

A spokesperson for Trafford Council said: “We are delighted that Trafford Domestic Abuse Services have been awarded this additional funding to help reduce the risk of women and their families becoming homeless through domestic abuse.

“We are very supportive of TDAS and recognise that members of the voluntary and community sector in Trafford play a vital role in tackling domestic abuse issues.

“TDAS have a long, committed and successful history in Trafford and are a valued and key partner of the council.”

If you or anyone you know has been affected by the issues raised in this article, please see the NHS’s advice page with more information on support services here: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/getting-help-for-domestic-violence/.

Or call Trafford Domestic Abuse Services on 0161 873 7368 or visit their website here: www.tdas.org.uk.