Witney company Jewins Women2Women targets Oxfordshire refuge

Jewins Women2Women, based in Witney, has set a target of £445,000 to set up a refuge for women fleeing domestic violence and those released from prison and mental health institutions.

The organisation also wants to start a cafe selling African food and other goods, for which it needs another £300,000.

Founder Ruth Moji Obasa has experience in handling domestic abuse and her involvement in a refuge in Banbury encouraged her to make a difference.

The Witney resident said: "We want to do something innovative and transformational for the people of Oxfordshire."

She added: "Women’s ambitions and aspirations are often cut short having suffered domestic violence.

"Our approach and aim is that these women should be given a second chance to be the best they can be for their community, for themselves and their children."

Ms Obasa started Women2Women in July 2014 and since then the social enterprise has held a range of fundraising activities, from gospel music nights to cookery classes and catering.

On Monday, volunteers will host the first of three African summer schools at Witney Methodist Church from 2pm to 4pm.

Follow-up sessions will take place on August 12 and 19, with people invited to spend £25 learning skills including mask painting, arts and crafts and African drumming.

Ms Obasa, a former teacher at Eynsham's Bartholomew School and The Marlborough School in Woodstock, said she was 'desperate' for children and adults to come along.

Since rebuilding her own life, the social enterprise's founder said she has worked 'tirelessly' to help others do the same.

She volunteered as a chaplain at a women's prison for 14 months and recently ran a series of prayer and counselling meetings at the Warneford Hospital in Headington.

Ms Obasa insists she is 'well equipped' to deliver Women2Women's wider vision of setting up the refuge and cafe, which has an 'ultimate aim' of reintegrating disadvantaged women into society.

Alongside the social enterprise's three other managers, the founder wants to use the profits from the cafe to give women training and mentoring to get their lives back on track.

Ms Obasa says this would make the refuge 'self-sufficient', including through housing the women.

They are also keen to provide care and support for mothers with disabled and terminally ill children and mental health issues.

A recent Oxfordshire County Council report estimated there were 28,000 victims of domestic abuse across the county in 2015/16, which covered both men and women.

Just 11,792 incidents of domestic abuse were reported to Thames Valley Police during the period, with 3,205 of these classed as criminal offences.

Data from NHS Digital this week showed up to seven newly reported cases of Female Genital Mutilation in the county between April 2018 and March 2019.

For more information visit jewinswomen2women.co.uk