Spring 2020A warm welcome from WHAG

A Rochdale-based charity providing supported housing to homeless and vulnerable women and those affected by domestic abuse

Originally helping just six women at a time in  Rochdale, WHAG now supports hundreds of  people each year throughout the north west across its services – a far cry from its humble beginnings in the borough.

WHAG’s CEO, Kirsty Rhodes, said: “Our charitable aims are to work with women who are homeless or whose housing situation is not secure, and to work with women, men and children who are fleeing domestic abuse.

“We support the people we work with to overcome the experiences they have had. We empower them to build up the skills and resources they need.”

WHAG was founded as the Rochdale Women’s Housing Aid Group by Rose Sumner in 1981. At the time, the only homeless accommodation available was for single men, or women who were victims of domestic abuse.

There was no housing for homeless and vulnerable women in Rochdale – and Rose was determined to change this. She set up a hostel on the Cloverhall Estate, in two semi-detached houses that were knocked through. 

Housing six beds, the house had shared bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchen. Successful at first, the accommodation became unsuitable during the 1990s as its residents found sharing personal space challenging. 

Kirsty explained: “All the space was shared and there was no privacy for these women at a very traumatic time. They would arrive but not stay, instead  returning to sofa surfing, sleeping rough and abusive relationships.”

Working in partnership with St Vincent’s Housing Association and Rochdale Council, WHAG moved to Rose Court in Castleton in 1996, able to provide 16 flats for vulnerable, homeless women.

The move to Rose Court proved pivotal for the charity, increasing bth the numbers of women it could help, and providing them with their own space.

“WHAG moved into Rose Court on 13 December 1996 with five clients; seven weeks later, we had 15. Over the 23 years we have been there, we rarely have empty flats. The average stay is about nine months, and most women move on to their own tenancies.

“The move gave women a feeling of worth: we could support them to manage a tenancy and their own front door, both skills they would need when they moved on. Rose Court also provided safer, better public transport links and it was easier for women in more areas of the borough to access.”

Kirsty added: “WHAG would have closed, had we not moved to Rose Court, as the charity could not have delivered a viable service.”

From there, WHAG grew, now able to offer so much more to the women who relied on it for help, enabling it to also run domestic abuse services across  Rochdale, Bury, Cheshire West and Chester.

Kirsty commented: “We were able to offer the addition of group work, offer support to more complex clients, increase partnership working, increase staff skills and offer support in moving on.”

The charity was also able to become involved in a range of projects which involve specialist services for ethnic minority clients, support for men who are or have been victims of domestic abuse, as well as training, workshops and refuge services.

Kirsty said: “In the future, WHAG wants to continue to deliver client-led, recovery-focused services, whilst we increase awareness of how homelessness and domestic abuse impacts on families.

“We also hope to increase the offer of services, especially to children and young people.”

A community-interest company – UP – later grew out of WHAG, set up to support the charity whilst tackling a lack of information about healthy relationships and preventing domestic abuse.

UP provides training, education and support around creating and sustaining successful personal relationships.

In November 2019, WHAG established a permanent office on Drake Street in Rochdale, a move which will allow the charity to make positive differences to so many more people’s lives.

What services and help are available?

Rose Court Supported Accommodation
Supported accommodation for single women (18+) who are homeless or at risk of  becoming homeless. Support can be  provided for up to nine months.

Resettlement Service
Support for single women (18+) or women with children to obtain, move and settle into a new tenancy. Support can be provided for up to eight to ten weeks.

Community Work
Delivers domestic abuse, awareness and recovery programmes throughout the borough.

WHAG offers support with:

• Finding suitable housing
• Tenancy maintenance
• Accessing solicitors
• Court injunctions
• Budgeting/debts
• Benefit applications
• Life skills
• Resettlement
• Form filling
• Accessing training
• Accessing education
• Accessing employment
• Confidence building
• Accessing local services
• Attending appointments
• Emotional support
• Group work sessions

Find out more about WHAG’s services and support or how you can help by visiting: www.whag.info