Transforming the space at Western Isles Women’s Aid

NHS Western Isles has awarded £5,000 in capital grant funding to Western Isles Women’s Aid to carry out upgrades to the communal space at their premises.

Western Isles Women’s Aid is a charitable, women-led organisation dedicated to supporting women and children affected by domestic abuse, and to working towards ending violence against women. As a charity, the organisation relies heavily on grant funding to continue delivering safe, supportive and empowering services.

Before the upgrade, the communal space was a large open-plan area comprising a small kitchenette, lounge, and children’s play zone. With the support of capital grant funding, the space has now been enhanced through the installation of additional cupboard space and a dedicated food preparation area.

Further improvements include upgraded flooring and décor, enhanced storage solutions, and the addition of new play equipment for children. The area has also been thoughtfully re zoned to ensure it can be used effectively by service users of all ages, as well as for meetings, group work and events.

These improvements mean that service users now benefit from a high-quality, safe, private and welcoming environment that meets both therapeutic and practical needs.

The creation of a dedicated children’s area will help reduce barriers to accessing support by addressing common childcare challenges, enabling more women to attend appointments with confidence. Accessibility has also been improved to better accommodate individuals with mobility difficulties.

Louise Harrison, Children and Young People's Practitioner and IDAA, Western Isles Women's Aid, said: “Western Isles Women's Aid is incredibly grateful to have received this grant, allowing us to refurbish our kitchen, lounge and meeting area. Since completing the project we have received many compliments on the space, which is now bright, welcoming and ideal for supporting survivors of domestic abuse in the Western Isles."

NHS Western Isles Nurse and AHP Director/Chief Operating Officer, Frances Robertson, said: “We are very pleased to support Western Isles Women’s Aid with this funding. They provide a vital and often life changing service for women and children across our communities. These improvements will help support the wellbeing and recovery of those who rely on this vital service.”

This funding was made available to NHS Western Isles as capital grant funding, separate to revenue and capital core funding allocations for patient care and NHS services/staff. NHS Western Isles understands how difficult the financial situation can be for the third sector and not for profit organisations and bids for Capital Grant funding to help support these groups.