Princess Royal visits hub providing vital support

New Era Domestic Abuse Service for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire offers help helps those living to see the support provided to local adults and children affected by domestic abuse.

The Princess Royal was visiting New Era’s Staffordshire hub on June 9 in her capacity as Patron and President of Victim Support, who provide the victim services part of the New Era service. The Princess Royal also spoke to clients and frontline staff about how the pandemic has impacted them.

Over the past year, New Era has successfully adapted many of its services to ensure adults, children and young people could continue to get the help they needed from its specialist advisors, either online, face-to-face, on a one-to-one basis and through group work, despite successive lockdowns.

During the 30 months from October 1, 2018 and March 31, 2021, New Era received more than 14,000 referrals and enquiries to its victim services, and over 900 referrals and enquiries to its perpetrator services.

HRH The Princess Royal also heard how New Era is gearing up for the start the UEFA Euro 2020 football tournament; traditionally, domestic abuse support services like New Era often see a rise in referrals during such football competitions, caused by the coercive and controlling behaviour of an abuser and triggers such as alcohol misuse or unfavourable results.

As well as meeting New Era Independent Domestic Abuse Advisors (IDVAs) and other support workers, HRH The Princess Royal also spoke to survivor Becky Warrender, who turned her life around after receiving support from New Era. She became the face of New Era in a recent campaign to raise awareness about the specialist support available and encourage other victims to come forward.

HRH The Princess Royal also met Staffordshire fundraiser Paul Wright, chairman of Lichfield Social Community Football Club, who raised £3,000 for New Era from a sponsored climb of Mount Snowdon after being so impressed with the support provided by New Era to a friend who had suffered serious domestic abuse.

HRH The Princes Royal heard about New Era’s work in the wider community, including its free domestic abuse Workplace Champions training programme open to all employees across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. Lichfield’s Tracey Taylor, who works for local the housing association, Bromford, and undertook the training, explained how she had put into practice what she had learned.

Chantelle Thompson, New Era’s head of service, said: “HRH The Princess Royal has a long-standing association with Victim Support.

“We discussed the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on local families and how we had seen peaks in referrals at different times in the year, often coinciding the easing of lockdowns.

“Although the majority of survivors of domestic abuse supported by New Era are women, The Princess Royal heard how we support male victims too, through our dedicated specialist IDVA. We also have dedicated advisors working exclusively with domestic abuse survivors from the LGBT+ and Black Asian Minority Ethnic and Refugee communities.”

New Era’s confidential helpline for victims of domestic abuse is: 0300 303 3778. Alternatively, a live webchat can be accessed day or night via New Era’s website: www.new-era.uk

New Era’s confidential helpline for people who want support to change their abusive behaviour is: 01785 601 690 (Monday to Friday, 9am until 5pm).