The project in association with Refuge will create a safe home for women and their children
After generous donations from readers and a £150,000 donation from building society Nationwide, the first women and children will move into the home in early 2025. The campaign, which has seen extensive backing from businesses, celebrities such as Olivia Colman, Dame Joanna Lumley, Dame Helen Mirren as well as the Queen, has now been extended to funding a second home.
Also supporting the campaign is prime minister Sir Keir Starmer. In an interview with The Independent’s Kate Gill, Starmer has vowed that both he and the cabinet will personally donate to the campaign. The video can be found here.
He said: “I’ve seen so many families torn apart, and so many lives destroyed, by domestic abuse. That’s why I’m determined that those at risk should have more support, places they can feel safe, and be able to access the services they need to rebuild their lives.
“And it’s why I am so pleased to back The Independent’s Brick by Brick campaign to support victims of domestic abuse.”
The Brick by Brick appeal asks people to donate to help build the house. Each £15 donation buys a brick and Persimmon has already started on the foundations thanks to donations already received.
Starmer has made a pledge to tackle domestic violence, having worked firsthand on prosecuting those who committed crimes against women and children. He has been a long supporter of women escaping abusive partners and a vocal critic of violence within the home.
“I sat down with individuals who had been subjected to domestic violence. I listened and listened hard to what they had been through. It had a profound impact on me. I’ve continued those conversations for 15 years, both as a lawyer, as a prosecutor, and as a politician.
“Very many women and girls didn’t feel that they could come forward to report what had happened to them. About 90 per cent didn’t have the confidence in the system to come forward, and that’s the reason this campaign is so important. In order to take that first step, victims of domestic violence have to have somewhere that they can go to get away from what is happening.
“That is why I was really pleased when we came to the general election, that we were able to commit as a new government to halving violence against women and girls.”
Starmer said the firsthand experience of hearing from survivors shaped his stance on domestic abuse.
A barrister since 1987, he served as the director of public prosecutions between 2008 and 2013, a role which saw him prosecute the most serious criminal cases across Great Britain. Starmer recalls the horror of a woman murdered by her abusive ex-partner who stabbed her 71 times. Miss Jane Clough was killed by her ex-partner after he was let out of prison on bail against the family’s wishes. Jonathan Vass was jailed for life after admitting that he murdered Miss Clough in 2010.
