Welcome

Thank you for your interest in what is one of the most important roles at Refuge, and therefore (I believe) in the whole VAWG sector.

The statistics are terrifying: a quarter of all women experience domestic abuse during their lifetime, and two women a week are killed by their current or former partner. It’s widely known that the pandemic saw a sharp increase in violence against women and girls, and new and insidious forms of technologically-facilitated abuse are proliferating with astonishing rapidity.

However, more people are now talking about domestic abuse. There is far greater awareness of its warning signs. Women are looking for help sooner. The creative ways we reached out to the public and to policy makers during COVID-19 have led to permanent, positive changes. Since 2018-19, Refuge’s voluntary income has increased threefold, affording us more independence and stability as an organisation. We’re facing this steadily increasing demand for our services with innovation, resilience, and a shared determination to change the landscape on domestic abuse in the UK. We’re doing everything we can to equip and resource Refuge to be effective for the next 50 years.

Refuge has an impressive track record, but the best organisations don’t settle for ‘good enough’, and Refuge is no exception to that rule. We want to build on our achievements to date, and keep getting better. This is an amazing opportunity to join and lead dedicated, passionate and high-performing teams, who are all incredibly proud of being part of the Refuge story. The sense of shared purpose is tangible across the organisation – a recent employee survey showed consistently high levels of engagement and optimism about our collective ability to achieve our vision.

In some ways, it’s really simple. The better our back office operates, the more support we can provide to colleagues as they work on the frontline with survivors, and the more women and children experiencing violence and abuse we can support. If that’s what you’re looking for in your next role, I look forward to meeting you.