£6 million funding for victims and VAWG survivors

The Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Grassroots Fund launches with £6 million of funding available to specialist grassroots providing specialist one-to-one support for victims and survivors in underrepresented groups - including women from minority communities, those involved in prostitution, and women with disabilities. A further £2million through the Mayor’s Victims’ Fund will help similar organisations who work with victims of crime more generally, for example victims of robbery, theft or GBH.

MOPAC Violence Against Women and Girls Grassroots Fund 2027 - 2030

The VAWG Grassroots Fund - which closes to applications on 4th November - offers grants of up to £150,000 over the next three years to support women, children and families with access to legal advice, counselling, emergency housing and other key services.

The Mayor’s VAWG Grassroots Fund has already supported 57 organisations and over 56,800 women since it launched in 2021, and Sadiq Khan has committed to supporting many more victims and survivors over the next three years as part of his new VAWG strategy. One women who has been able to rebuild her life after receiving support through the VAWG Grassroots Fund, has gone one to establish her own charity supporting Romani Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller women and children to navigate life after abuse[

X is a Romani (Gypsy) in her early 40s who recently left her husband due to abuse, and is now a single mother to four children. She first engaged with the Grassroots Fund through social media, and was keen to get involved. She went on to attend many survivor coffee mornings, which she said gave her a “new sense of community and support” after her difficult experiences. She went on to become a peer researcher; she realised that many other women in her community had similar experiences, and this inspired her. She continues to engage with our services to develop new opportunities for herself, her family and others.

MOPAC Victims Small Grants Fund 2027 - 2029

Alongside the VAWG Grassroots Fund, the Mayor is investing £2million into the MOPAC Victims Small Grants Fund over the next two years, which will provide grants of up to £200,000 across the next two years (£100,000 a year) for community organisations that give tailored support for people from minoritised communities who have been a victim/survivor of all crimes that are not classified as VAWG, such as robbery, theft or GBH. The Victims Small Grants Fund closes for applications on 2nd November.

The new funding from the Mayor comes at a time when the on-going cost-of-living crisis continues to makes it more difficult for survivors of VAWG and domestic abuse, to rebuild their lives, forcing them into debt and in some cases to stay with their abusers. The holistic support provided by the Mayor through these two funds, provides survivors with the life-changing opportunity to live life on their own terms and rebuild their confidence and sense of self, as well as reducing the risk of re-victimisation.

Victims and survivors of violence against women and girls deserve the highest level of support to help them recover, and rebuild their lives. I look forward to doing even more to support the most vulnerable in our society and help them access the one-to-one help they desperately need and deserve.

Sadiq Khan, The Mayor of London

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Victims and survivors of violence against women and girls deserve the highest level of support to help them recover, and rebuild their lives. That’s why, as part of my new strategy to tackle violence against women and girls, I am investing more than £6million into grassroot organisations that are rooted in and led by the communities they serve, through my VAWG Grassroots Fund.

“Our funding has already helped over 56,000 women, children and families receive vital help such as legal advice, counselling, emergency housing or any other key services. I’m determined to ensure that we continue this funding for grassroot organisations so that any woman, from any background has the help they need. Today I’m inviting grassroot organisations to apply for a grant so that we can support them carry out their life-saving work.

“As we continue to work together to tackle the epidemic of VAWG, including its root causes to build a safer London for everyone, I look forward to working closely with the Government, the Met police and grassroots organisations across London to do even more to support the most vulnerable in our society and help them access the one-to-one help they desperately need and deserve.”

For Vietnamese and East and South East Asian women, language is often the last barrier between abuse and safety, and financial control is one of its quietest forms

Quynh Nguyen, Vietnamese Family Partnership

Quynh Nguyen, Founder and CEO of Vietnamese Family Partnership, said: "For Vietnamese and East and South East Asian women, language is often the last barrier between abuse and safety, and financial control is one of its quietest forms, hardest to name in a community where talking about money, or violence, carries shame.

“Over the previous funding round, this fund helped us secure over £36,000 in financial support for these women and elders in just six months, preventing eviction and homelessness at a fraction of the cost to the state. We look forward to this new £6 million round over three years, telling communities too often left out of this conversation: you are seen, and you are not alone."

Paul Buchanan MBE, CEO, The London Community Foundation, said: "We are proud to continue supporting MOPAC on this crucial work to tackle violence, exploitation, and crime in London. This type of targeted funding and support for specialist organisations is vital to reach victims and survivors. Grassroots organisations are trusted and rooted within the communities they serve and are best placed to provide support that is culturally appropriate and trauma informed. The importance of offering services which are tailored to the diverse and intersecting needs of those living in London cannot be overstated. Both the Mayor’s VAWG Grassroots Fund and Victims Small Grants Fund have this approach at their centre, which should be applauded."

Su Bhuhi MBE, Founder and CEO Aanchal Women’s Aid, said: "This is not just a fund but a lifeline for all the individuals we can reach who need charities like ours. Life can change from homeless to having a home - from being lost in one's own life to being part of a community of humanity".

For many, these organisations are a lifeline, and the only trusted route to safety and recovery. I look forward to continuing to work with the Mayor to ensure every survivor can access the specialist support they need.

Andrea Simon, London’s Victims’ Commissioner

London’s Victims’ Commissioner, Andrea Simon, said: “As Victims’ Commissioner, I see first-hand the transformative impact of specialist, grassroots organisations in the lives of women and girls who have experienced violence and abuse.

“These organisations are rooted in the communities they serve. They understand the barriers women can face in seeking help and they are able to provide support that is culturally responsive to women's individual needs. For many, these organisations are a lifeline, and the only trusted route to safety and recovery.

“This is why the Mayor’s VAWG Grassroots Fund is so important, providing grassroots organisations and community groups across London resources to continue their vital work. I look forward to continuing to work with the Mayor to ensure every survivor can access the specialist support they need.”

The MOPAC Victims Small Grants Fund closes on Monday 2nd November and the MOPAC Violence Against Women and Girls Grassroots Fund closes on Wednesday 4th November.