Shoppers are being asked to donate urgently needed supplies for the West Dorset Refuge

Staff and management at the Co-Op store in Lyme Regis have been highly praised for raising awareness of domestic abuse and for signposting an urgent need for food at the refuge in West Dorset.

Currently shoppers can donate tinned and staple items like tea bags, pasta, rice and cereal, in a trolley near the tills.

They will go directly to the refuge and be given to the adults and children who desperately need them, some of whom arrive with nothing more than the clothes they stand up in.

Within the next few weeks, there will also be a leaflet in the shop giving details of local and national services available to help those who are suffering domestic abuse.

Pete Gravell, the Co-Op store manager said: “The issue of the food crisis at our local refuge has been championed by our staff members Ellie and Nicky and we’re absolutely delighted to support it.”

Tracey West from Lyme Regis instigated the scheme. She is Patron of the Women’s Action Network Dorset (WAND) who have done great work supporting the women’s refuge over the years. She’s also a member of the more recently formed Friends of Dorset Women’s Crisis and Information Centre who do similar work and meet in Bridport once a month: they are currently seeking new members.

Tracey said: “The donations from the Co-Op box will go a long way to helping survivors start to put their lives back together. Domestic abuse is an abhorrent and completely unacceptable crime and when you’re trapped in the thick of it, it’s hard to know which way is up.

“We are incredibly lucky to have a safe refuge here in West Dorset. Unfortunately, refuges aren’t government funded and their existence is almost entirely dependent upon kind-hearted schemes like this one from the Co-Op and from funds raised by volunteer groups like WAND and the Friends. We cannot thank the team at the Co-Op enough for their support.”

To find out more about the Friends of Dorset Women’s Crisis and Information Centre, contact Gill at gillsmith1942@hotmail.co.uk, or Margie at margiebarbour@aol.com