Funding fears threaten future of Inverness Women's Aid

Inverness Women’s Aid has called on Highland Council to urgently clarify its future funding arrangements amid fears the local refuge may be forced to close.

The charity says uncertainty around the council’s ongoing review of domestic abuse services is placing a vital lifeline at risk.

Heather, who lived in Inverness Women’s Refuge for three months after police raised concerns about her partner, says the service gave her safety when she needed it most.

“It gives you your life back,” she told STV News. *”It means you can sleep at night because you know that nobody is going to turn up at your door.

“Within 24 hours (of being told by police about the concerns) I had moved into the refuge. Had I not, my life could be very different now. I would have been left in a very risky situation and who knows what could have happened.”

Inverness Women’s Aid warns the refuge may not be able to stay open without confirmation of continued funding.

Eilidh Ross from Inverness Women’s Aid said: “We find ourselves heading towards the end of the financial year.

“If our refuge doesn’t receive funding from Highland Council, and if we don’t know about that soon, we are going to have to start taking steps to close the refuge and make staff redundancies.”

The charity expects around 475 referrals in 2025, an increase from 457 last year. It has already lost £115,000 in outreach funding, including support for a specialist role assisting women at highest risk of serious harm or homicide.

Highland Council said it is carrying out a review of refuge services in partnership with its housing service, adding that current contracts will stay in place until that work is completed.

The council also said it remains committed to supporting all victim-survivors of domestic abuse.