Refuge In Literacy UK
Supporting Families Through Literacy In Domestic Violence Refuges
At Refuge In Literacy UK, we support children, young people, and families living in domestic violence refuges across the United Kingdom. As a non-profit community interest company, we work with authors and illustrators who donate signed copies of their books, so that families receive something personal, thoughtful, and theirs to keep.
Through these signed books and carefully chosen literacy resources, we aim to offer moments of comfort, stability, and connection during times of change. Our focus is on building literacy confidence so that families feel more able to read, share stories, and stay connected with education.
Who We Are
Refuge In Literacy UK was founded by our CEO, Anne Stairmand, an educator and literacy specialist with over thirty years’ experience. Anne has taught across Key Stages 1–4, led English departments, and contributed as an education advisory consultant.
She has served as Director of a Humanities College, been part of senior leadership in secondary education, and partnered with organisations including the National Literacy Trust, a cognition training business, and further education institutions. This experience shapes how we listen to refuges, understand the demands of school life, and design literacy support that feels calm, considered, and genuinely helpful for families.
How We Support Families In Refuges
We collaborate closely with refuge teams to provide literacy resources that are sensitive to the realities of each setting. Our approach is steady and long term, shaped by trust and ongoing conversation rather than one-off deliveries of books.
We help children and young people build confidence with reading and writing so they can access the curriculum with greater ease and self-belief. We also offer resources for parents and carers, supporting them to feel more assured in their own literacy as they navigate forms, decisions, and future choices.
Our aim is simple: to ensure that every family we reach in a domestic violence refuge has the chance to feel seen, valued, and supported through books and meaningful literacy experiences.
Key Data: Domestic Abuse And Refuges In The UK
We share the figures below to help explain the environment domestic violence refuges are navigating in the UK. They offer context for why steady, thoughtful literacy support matters for children, young people, and families living in refuge accommodation.
- — There are over 350 domestic violence refuges in the UK, and all are continually in use.
- — In 2020, an estimated 2.3 million adults between the age of 16 and 74 experienced domestic abuse.
- — In 2020, over 387,000 children were in homes affected by domestic abuse, and two women per week were killed.
- — The ‘Counting Dead Women’ project reported 16 domestic violence killings during the first three weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown.
- — On average, two women per week are killed by a current or former partner in England and Wales.
References
- Office for National Statistics – Domestic Abuse in England and Wales Overview (2020)
- The Guardian – Domestic Abuse Killings More Than Double Amid COVID-19 Lockdown
- Office for National Statistics – Homicide in England and Wales (Year Ending March 2019)
These numbers are difficult, and we hold them with care. We focus on what we can offer within this reality: consistent literacy support that meets families in refuges gently, respectfully, and with a long-term commitment.