DASH is a grassroots charity which has served the local community for over 40 years. It aims to make a change for families who have experienced domestic abuse and has developed a range of specialist interventions to provide safety, sanctuary and a brighter future for those who reach out to the charity for support. The charity’s main focus is to reduce and mitigate the risk to each member of the family, by providing a helpline, refuge, community support and a designated children’s team, as well as free legal, housing and financial advice and support through the Criminal and Civil Justice system.
Cala Homes (Chiltern), who is looking to deliver developments to this region in the future, launched the Cala Community Bursary in Maidenhead in February and invited organisations, charities and groups in the area to apply for a share of £2,000 to help fund projects that make a difference in the community. The DASH Charity was chosen as a recipient of the bursary, with the money going towards funding the continuous hard work aiding those victims who have suffered domestic abuse.
This year, the Community Bursary Scheme has awarded a total of £109,000 to 117 good causes across the UK. A further 200 causes have previously benefited from the scheme, with over £200,000 awarded to various initiatives since 2017.
Caron Kipping, Community Engagement Manager at The DASH Charity, said: “We’re delighted to have received such a generous donation from Cala Homes, which will go towards funding to continuation of our helpline – the very first port of call for those reaching out to us for help. Callers to our helpline may be in crisis or have a very small window of opportunity to escape to a place of safety, so it’s an extremely important part of what we do.
“In the future we would like to create a Community Hub where members of the public can find us easily and drop in for advice and support, enabling them to access our services face to face and where they can receive ongoing emotional support to help them in their recovery.”
Stuart Wallace, Manging Director at Cala Homes (Chiltern), said: “Cala has always been committed to making a positive and lasting contribution to the local communities in which it builds and the Community Bursary scheme has given us the opportunity to find out exactly what support is required locally. We are delighted to be supporting The DASH Charity and look forward to seeing how the funding helps to make a difference to those that need it most.”
For further information on Cala Homes and its local developments, visit www.cala.co.uk.
