PEOPLE with disabilities and elderly victims who have suffered domestic violence and abuse are among those who will get extra help in the Bournemouth area, thanks to a new government cash handout.

A consortium of authorities and organisations in Dorset have been awarded £230,500 from a £22 million government initiative to ensure support for survivors of domestic abuse is more widely distributed amongst harder-to-reach groups.

Community Safety Manager at Bournemouth Borough Council, Andy Williams, said: “The additional funding will provide further support to victims and survivors of domestic abuse over the next two years in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

"Specifically, it will support victims and survivors who can’t or don’t access refuge spaces, for example those with disabilities - including learning disabilities - or elderly victims and those with complex needs such as mental health issues. We’re also going to be working with colleagues in the NHS, so that if staff in hospitals come across victims of domestic abuse, they can access the support they need.”

The Bournemouth allocation will be shared between the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital, Poole Hospital, Bournemouth Churches Housing Association, Borough of Poole, and Christchurch Borough Council.

Nationally the money will provide tailored support to more than 25,000 survivors and their families nationwide – including over 2,200 additional beds in refuges and other safe accommodation.

Housing Minister Heather Wheeler MP said: "This builds on government action seeking to put an end to domestic abuse for good and help survivors in turning their lives around."

In addition to the beds, she said there would be access to education and tailored employment and life skills guidance as survivors move towards building a safe and healthy future for themselves and their children.

"Projects will be delivered by councils working alongside local organisations to help ensure that no survivor of domestic abuse is turned away from the support they need to start their new life," she said.

The £22 million comprises £19 million allocated to abuse survivors during the summer, with an extra £3 million on top.

The government has also published new guidance for councils to prioritise domestic abuse survivors in refuges when allocating social housing and encourages councils to use existing powers to support survivors to remain safely in their own homes if they choose to do so.