Feb 13th, 2017
Shama Women’s Centre Under Threat of Closure
By Nicole G
Leicester’s only women’s centre is set to close, meaning women across the city will lose vital help with finding a job, learning new skills, or getting support to leave a violent relationship. It’s at risk because funding for the centre is being cut by the council.
The doors of the centre could close as soon as April. So Sumeya, who works at the centre, has started an urgent petition calling on the council to scrap the plans. Running the centre doesn’t cost a lot of money. If thousands of us get behind Sumeya’s petition right now, the public pressure could convince the council to reverse the cuts.
If you think this lifeline for women across Leicester should stay open, can you add your name to the petition now? It takes less than a minute:
Women across Leicester depend on the centre’s services. From craft evenings, to help for domestic violence survivors. From building friendships and breaking down barriers, to providing childcare – one woman said “it’s second only to home”.
People in Leicester have a track record of coming together to save the services that matter. Last year, more than 2,000 of us got behind the petition to keep Belgrave library open – and we won! We can do the same for Leicester’s only women’s centre, but first we need more people to get involved.
