Southall Black Sisters need your support to avoid closure

Photo from Louise, Demonstration at Ealing Council, "Save Southhall Black Sisters"

(belated note from nov....Southall Black Sisters won their case re funding in July 2008 and you can see more pictures and comments here from the above photographer, Louise) .....

In February, I wrote:....I've recently learned that the Southall Black Sisters, a resource centre for Asian & African Caribbean women facing violence and abuse in West London and an exemplar for such programmes around the world, is facing closure because their main funder will withdraw funding by April 2008. This centre has done extraordinary work in shelter, advocacy with the Asian-African-Caribbean diasporas, as well as leading campaigns against forced and child marriages. Their major funding source (Ealing Council) has decided to end specialist services or streamline, e.g. combine domestic violence services, even multi-ethnic resources are needed...one size fits all programming does not work in address domestic violence and abuse. Please go to the Southhall Black Sisters (SBS) link to learn more about this vital organization as well as how you can provide support by writing letters to their funder and donate-contact SBS.

Ironically, I learned about this potential closure on a day when Womensenews published a report and data on child-forced marriages, which includes many of the countries whose migrants receive services from Southall Black Sisters either in London and/or where women are forced into marriages with men-families who have migrated to London and elsewhere. Bangladesh is #3 on the list of forced-child marriages despite much funding of anti-child marriage programmes.

Please share this information and provide support and letters!

According to SBS information and from F-Word:

"The group is calling for supporters to contact the council and voice our discontent with this decision. The person to contact is:

Jason Stacey
Leader of Ealing Council
Ealing Town Hall
Uxbridge Road
Ealing
W5 2BY
jason.stacey@ealing.gov.uk