The tremendous success of the Brick by Brick campaign would never have been possible without the generous response from both our readers and high-profile donors.
In September, The Independent and leading domestic abuse charity Refuge launched a trailblazing appeal to raise funds for building two safe houses for women and children escaping abusive partners and raise public awareness of domestic abuse.
The campaign, which kicked off in September, aimed to build one refuge at the outset. But construction plans were changed to accommodate a second house after the initial £300,000 target was smashed just weeks into the campaign, with £576,984 raised for the appeal so far.
A star-studded cast of famous faces has backed the Brick by Brick campaign - including everyone from the PM Sir Keir Starmer, to Dame Joanna Lumley, Dame Helen Mirren, the Queen, Olivia Colman, Victoria Derbyshire and Sir Patrick Stewart.
The two houses, the first that housebuilder Persimmon has ever built specifically for domestic abuse survivors, will be semi-detached, with a living room, open-plan kitchen and dining room as well as a private garden.
They will also have the latest security measures, including a fireproof letter box, CCTV, and enhanced locking features on windows and doors. They will be linked to the local police force to ensure that officers can get there quickly in the unlikely event that a woman’s abuser discovers where she is living.
But survivors will have more than a roof over their head thanks to Refuge staff providing emotional support and legal advice during a family’s stay, as well as supporting women with safety planning, budgeting, finding a safe new home, dealing with debt and applying for welfare benefits, accessing health services, and finding nurseries and schools.
Here is a breakdown of some of the key donors who contributed to the Brick by Brick campaign.
The Independent’s readers
HM The Queen
Sir Keir Starmer and the Cabinet
Dame Joanna Lumley
The Julia Rausing Trust
Nationwide
Persimmon Homes
Lloyds
Amanda Pritchard and the NHS England board
The Very Revd Andrew Tremlett Dean of St Paul's
N. Sethia charitable foundation
Igor Tulchinsky
Sarah, Duchess of York (Sarah’s Trust)
Gurinder Chadha
Jung Chang
Penny Mordaunt
Sir Mohamed Mansour
Joely Richardson
Your support is still welcome, all donations received will be spent on Refuge’s lifesaving work housing survivors of domestic abuse.
The national domestic abuse helpline offers support for women on 0808 2000 247, or you can visit the Refuge website. There is a dedicated men’s advice line on 0808 8010 327.
