A charity helping young domestic abuse victims has received £158,000 to expand its support services after a spike in demand.

City Bridge Trust, the City of London Corporation’s charitable funder, gave the grant to Jigsaw4u – which works across Sutton and Merton, helping children with difficult lives to put the pieces back together.

The money will pay for a full-time staff member to recruit, train and supervise new volunteers who will support families across the boroughs.

In the last three years Jigsaw4u has supported 628 people, offering families pre and post bereavement support, and working with children who are at risk of sexual exploitation.

Dhruv Patel, Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s City Bridge Trust Committee, said:

“This charity is helping young people to rebuild their lives and empowering families to build a secure, and positive future.

“Half of the project’s volunteers are survivors of domestic abuse, and they relate so closely with the families they support.

“We are proud to partner with Jigsaw4u to tackle disadvantage and inequality in London. And we will continue to support charities in making the capital a better place in which to live.”

Stephen Loizou, Managing Director at Jigsaw4u, said:

“This grant will allow us to support women and children who are rebuilding their lives following domestic abuse in south-west London.

“We will be working in partnership with statutory and voluntary agencies to ensure the service reaches everyone who needs it, and training specialist volunteers to support delivery.”

City Bridge Trust is the funding arm of the City of London Corporation’s charity, Bridge House Estates.

It is London’s biggest independent grant giver, making grants of £20 million a year to tackle disadvantage across the capital.

The Trust has awarded around 8,000 grants totalling over £400 million since it first began in 1995. It helps achieve the City Corporation’s aim of changing the lives of hundreds of thousands of Londoners.

Jigsaw4u has been delivering a volunteer-based specialist support service for children, young people and their families affected by domestic violence since 2013.

ENDS

Media Enquiries

Kristina Drake

Media Officer, City of London Corporation

Kristina.Drake@cityoflondon.gov.uk

07710860884 / 020 7332 1125

Notes to editors

About the City of London Corporation:

The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally successful UK.

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk 

About City Bridge Trust

City Bridge Trust is the funding arm of Bridge House Estates, a Registered Charity, with its primary aim the maintenance and support of five Thames bridges: Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Southwark, Blackfriars and the Millennium footbridge.

City Bridge Trust was established in 1995 to make use of funds surplus to bridge requirements and provides grants totalling around £20m per year towards charitable activity benefitting Greater London. The City of London Corporation is the sole trustee of the Bridge House Estates.