Who We Help, Why We Help & the Difference It Makes

What We Do

Domestic abuse

When hearing the words ‘domestic abuse’, many people still think this only relates to instances physical violence - ‘hitting, slapping or beating’ - when in fact it can, and often does, involve much more than this.

Yes, domestic abuse can entail appalling levels of violence but it can also relate to psychological, emotional, sexual and/or financial abuse. The women we support report everything from constant insults, intimidation, harassment and stalking to marital rape and being subject to every part of their life falling under their perpetrator’s control. Coercive control is an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim.

Almost 30% of women in England/Wales say they have experienced domestic violence/abuse since the age of 16.

If you are, or have been, affected by domestic abuse and live in Luton or nearby, you are not alone. At Luton All Women’s Centre, our specialist Domestic Abuse service can help you get out (and stay out) of a dangerous relationship, support you in coping and recovering from your experiences, and help you take the steps you need to move on to successful and independent living. 

What we can offer

1-1 Casework

When you come to us for help, we’ll talk with you about your current situation/ needs and allocate an individual adviser to your case. We’ll work with you to create a safety and recovery plan that will usually have several elements. For example, if you need guidance through criminal proceedings, we’ll help you understand what is likely to happen. If you need help making practical improvements in your life, e.g. housing, we’ll guide and support you. And, if you need emotional support, we’ll be right by your side. At some point, your adviser will probably encourage you to join one of the specialist groups listed below and, where beneficial, may refer you to other services at the centre too – e.g. counselling or our Wellbeing Group.

Groups

We run two specialist domestic abuse groups for women:

• Own My Life - an innovative, creative and educational 12-week programme for women.  It supports women in regaining ownership of their lives when they have subjected to abuse or violence.  Short videos, structured discussions, group and individual activities, and a comprehensive learning journal help women develop the knowledge and skills to protect themselves and those around them from harm, as well as developing friendships with other group members. Groups run during the day and on an evening. We offer both face-to-face groups at our centre and online using Zoom.
• Our Lives – Similar to the Own My Life programme, this 6-week course aims to educate and encourage women to address the impact that domestic abuse has on their lives. Delivered in Bengali and Urdu, it looks at how the beliefs around the role of women are created within the cultural and religious context of women from South Asian communities, as well as the relevant areas of British law.

New online and face-to-face groups start regularly. Please get in touch to find out more.

Solicitors advice surgeries

We offer a free solicitor advice surgery for our clients at the centre which takes place twice a month on Wednesdays and Fridays. Any issue can be discussed at an appointment.

This surgery is kindly supported by JKC Lawyers and is available only to women who are existing users of the centre.

Get help now!

If you believe you (or someone you know) is in immediate life-threatening danger, please call the Police on 999.

Otherwise, to find out more about accessing any part of our Domestic Abuse Service, call us on 01582 416783 Mon to Fri 9am to 5pm. We guarantee you’ll be greeted by a friendly voice.

Access other sources of help, information and resources around domestic abuse here

Harmful practices

‘Harmful Practices’ is a term used to describe forced marriage, honour-based violence (HBV) and female genital mutilation (FGM), all of which disproportionately affect women and girls. Here’s a quick overview of what each of these practices mean:

• A forced marriage is a marriage conducted without the valid consent of one or both people and pressure or abuse is used. It is an abuse of human rights, should not be confused with arranged marriage (where both parties willingly consent) and cannot be justified on any religious and cultural grounds.
• So-called Honour-based violence is a crime or incident which has or may have been committed to protect or defend the honour of the family and or community. This can involve various degrees of violent practices including assault, false imprisonment, murder, disfigurement, enforced suicide, kidnap. Despite the term ‘honour’ based violence, it is recognised that there is no honour in and no legal defence for committing offences against the person.
• Female genital mutilation (sometimes referred to as female circumcision) refers to procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The practice is illegal in the UK.

Although official statistics paint a picture where the numbers of reported cases are small, the truth is that these are often hidden crimes which, for various reasons, are under-reported.

Regardless of the statistics, here at LAWC, we believe that even one example of these damaging practices taking place is too much. That’s why we’re doing everything we can to make Luton and Bedfordshire a ‘no Harmful Practices’ zone by 2030.

To achieve that we’re working hard to put educational measures in place so that every opportunity to keep women and girls safe from these practices is met.

We know this isn’t going to change things for everyone though and so we also provide a dedicated help and support service for women and girls affected by Harmful Practices.

If you are (or have been) affected by Harmful Practices and live in Luton or Bedfordshire, our aim is to help you stay safe, reduce your risk of associated harm (e.g. domestic abuse) and support you in moving successfully forward with your life.

What we can offer:

1-1 Casework 

When you come to us for help, we’ll talk with you about your current situation/ needs and allocate an individual adviser to your case. We’ll work with you to create a safety and recovery plan that will usually have several elements. For example, if you need guidance through criminal proceedings, we’ll help you to understand what is likely to happen. If you need help making practical improvements in your life (e.g. housing) we’ll guide and support you. And, if you need emotional support, we’ll be right by your side. Where beneficial, your adviser may refer you to other services at the centre too – e.g. professional counselling or our Wellbeing Group.

County-wide support

We work closely with several other organisations across Bedfordshire to ensure victims/survivors of Harmful Practices can access support wherever they are.

Alongside the casework we offer at the centre, we can make referrals to other agencies such as Bedford Women’s Centre (for women in the north of the county), and ACCM/Families First (for male victims).

Solicitors advice surgeries

We offer a free solicitor advice surgery for our clients at the centre which takes place twice a month on Wednesdays and Fridays.

This surgery is kindly supported by JKC Lawyers and is available only to women who are existing users of the centre.

Get help now!

If you believe you (or someone you know) is in immediate life-threatening danger, please call the Police on 999.

Otherwise, to find out more about accessing any part of our Harmful Practices Service, drop into the centre (Mon – Fri, between 9.30am – 12noon) or call us on 01582 416783. We guarantee you’ll be greeted by a friendly face or voice.

Access other sources of help, information and resources around forced marriage and honour-based abuse here.

Access other sources of help, information and resources around FGM here.

Health and wellbeing

The importance of maintaining good physical health, mental health and general wellbeing cannot be over-emphasised. However, we know that for the women we support, these things aren’t always easy.

Just look at this fact:

Women exposed to domestic abuse are twice as likely (than those who are not exposed) to already have a mental health diagnosis at the point of disclosure. They are also twice as likely to develop anxiety and three times as likely to develop a serious mental illness like depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. (British Journal of Psychiatry)

Many factors prevent women and girls seeking help by traditional means (e.g. fear of authority) but here at LAWC, we’re scaling up our work to plug those gaps.

What we can offer:

Wellbeing Group

If you’re a woman whose mental health has been affected by abuse, violence or other trauma, this could be the group for you. 

As well as offering a space where you can meet other women who are struggling with, for example, confidence issues or anxiety, this group offers a series of easy-to-follow workshops that are educational and therapeutic.

Examples of the topics we cover include anxiety, sleep and healthy eating. You can also join confidence-building trips within the local community as part of the programme, as well as a weekly gentle exercise/ yoga class and a walking group.

Gentle exercise group

Run by trained women instructors from Active Luton, our gentle exercise/ yoga class takes place weekly, providing a safe, women-only environment for women who want to exercise without judgement. Keep a look out for other opportunities to increase your physical activity coming soon!

Walk to Wellbeing

Weekly short health walks that give women the opportunity to benefit from being out and about in one of the ‘natural spaces’ close to our centre. Sessions include some ‘walking and talking’ activities, finishing up with refreshments and a rest back at the centre.

Women’s health workshops

We occasionally run health workshops at the centre, addressing some of the specific issues which affect women’s health – e.g. diet, exercise, menopause. Keep a look out for news of the next workshop or let us know if there is a particular health topic you would like us to cover.

Get help now:

All of the ‘Health and Wellbeing’ services listed above have been designed to support women who are registered users of the centre. If that’s not you, that doesn’t necessarily exclude you from taking part. It just means we would need to have a conversation with you first to determine exactly what your needs are and ensure a holistic package of support is put into place for you.

To find out more about any aspect of our Health and Wellbeing service, drop into the centre Mon – Fri, between 9.30am – 12noon, or call us on 01582 416783. We guarantee you’ll be greeted by a friendly face or voice.

Access other sources of help, information and resources around mental health and wellbeing here

Menopause

If you need support with the menopause, why not join our Menopause group

This is an open-access group for women going through this very often challenging time in their lives. The group will focus on helping you understand what’s going on with your body and emotions, offer some guidance about the steps you can take to feel ‘normal’ again, and provide an opportunity to share thoughts, feelings and ideas with others. 

Throughout 2024-2025, we are running this 6-week group from several different locations in Luton, some of which will be delivered in Urdu or Polish. Daytime and evening options are also available. Here are all the venues and start dates:

• Lea Manor Recreational Centre - starting 3rd September 2024
• Luton Irish Forum - starting 9th September 2024 (Polish)
• Luton All Women's Centre - starting 2nd November 2024
• Luton Adult Learning - starting 4th November 2024
• William Austin Junior School Family Centre - starting 6th November (Urdu)
• Online (zoom) - starting 6th November 2024
• Wigmore Church - starting 7th January 2025
• Lewsey Community Centre - starting 8th January 2025
• Limbury Baptist Church - starting 28th February 2025

Find out more, including timings here.

This group is open to all women (not just existing LAWC clients).

Places are limited and must be booked in advance. 

To enquire and register your interest call on 01582 416783 or email [email protected]

Access other sources of help, information and resources around the menopause here.

Volunteer

Volunteer with us

Volunteering with LAWC is a fantastic way for you use your skills, expertise and time for good, to support the vital work we carry out and to become a hugely valued member of our great team!

Take a look at our current volunteering opportunities below:

Volunteer Counsellors (women)

We are keen to increase our pool of experienced qualified counsellors who could offer to volunteer with us for half a day per week. Most of our volunteers see 3 or 4 clients per week, plus fortnightly supervision and other counselling team requirements. Counsellors from different backgrounds are welcomed and we welcome counsellors who can work in English and another language.

Counselling Trainee Placements (women)

We offer placements of at least 1 year to trainees who are training in a range of therapeutic approaches. Due to the complexity of the women we work with, we normally only take on students who have already had some experience of working as a counsellor. If you would be interested in a placement in the future once you have gained some experience elsewhere, then please do contact us at that time.

We do, however, sometimes make exceptions to the above for students who are able to work in a second language (in addition to English) or who have other relevant professional experience, which has included working 1:1 with clients. If this is the case, then please contact us.

Collect and deliver donated goods

We are looking for volunteers who can help us maintain a supply of donated goods that we can pass on to the vulnerable women we support. The items we need include things like books, CDs, tinned and dried food items, sanitary wear and toiletries.

In this role, you would organise collections of these items (perhaps among friends, neighbours, a local community group or with work colleagues) and then deliver them to us at our premises in central Luton. You can do this as little or as often as you choose and we’ll always be grateful for your help. Take a look at our Donate Goods page for more details.

Find out more

For more information about any of the above opportunities (or if you have an alternative idea as to how you might be able to support our work in a volunteering role) please contact [email protected] or phone 01582 416783.

Community Trail