Supporting Aviva’s Safe@home Service
Funding from Kelliher supported Aviva’s Safe@home service. Safe@home is for those at risk of repeat family violence. It provides a home security improvement service which physically makes houses safer so that adults and children do not have to leave their home to become safe.
Safe@home security upgrades can include: installation of a silent monitored alarm which, when activated, alerts the Police Communications Centre; replacing glass panelled doors with solid doors; security lighting; fitting deadlocks, bolts, peepholes, door and window restrictors; changing locks; repairing broken windows and door frames; fitting safety glass and providing hand-held personal alarms/Safelets (a digital watch which enables someone to quickly send an SOS alarm to friends and family).
In 2020, a grant from the Kelliher Charitable Trust supported 11 home security upgrades, phone top ups for clients with Safelets and alarm monitoring for 24 homes, over a six month period.
Joanna’s story
I made the decision to leave an abusive relationship. Me and my two children had been staying with family, and the concept of returning home was a very scary thought. However, I did not have a choice - my children’s father had gone; there was no way I would take their home away from them. So after two weeks, with school due to start, we went home. I wore a brave face, but I could never portray to you how fearful and uncertain every moment was, every noise I heard, every knock. My ex-partner knew my house way better than I did; he knew about my broken window latches, he probably had a key. It was a big job to try to keep this person out. Within two days of contacting Aviva the coordinator visited and immediately organised for our house to be made safe. She had so many ideas and solutions to problems I just had no experience with. She sent somebody in, they changed my locks, they fixed all my windows, they made my home safe. For the first time, in three weeks, I slept. I slept at my house, with my family, and in my own bed.
The name in this story has been changed to protect privacy.