This July, Yorkshire’s Independent Domestic Abuse Services (IDAS) is launching its annual fundraising event, the Big Yorkshire Tour. Support adults and young people subjected to domestic abuse by asking friends and family to sponsor you to walk, dance, run, or jump the distance of your choice at any time during the month of July. You can take part individually or as part of a team. Choose the distance you’d like to cover and devise creative ways to take part – last year’s tour saw supporters skateboarding, roller skating and even kayaking the miles!
To get involved with this fantastic cause you can register on the IDAS Big Yorkshire Tour website (BigYorkshireTour.idas.org.uk) and set up a fundraising page to collect sponsorship or pay a one-off joining fee.
Last July, supporters, staff and volunteers raised £20,000 of vital funds that supported lifesaving services for over 20,000 people, including refuge accommodation, outreach services and support to children and adults affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence.
This year IDAS hopes to raise even more, so that they can run more online groups, develop innovative programmes of support, and continue to deliver an uninterrupted service.
IDAS CEO Sarah Hill says of the tour, “The last couple of years have been difficult for many people, for those living with a controlling or abusive partner during lockdowns there will have been little to no respite or relief. As life slowly returns to normal and people are now able to seek support, we have seen an increase in demand for our services that we anticipate will continue for some time to come.
“To meet this demand, we need additional funds and we are asking the public to support us by taking part in the tour. We hope that the IDAS Big Yorkshire Tour will bring people together around an important cause and let people know that our support is available to anyone affected by domestic abuse.”
If you are worried that you or someone you know may be experiencing abuse, you can call IDAS’ helpline on 03000 110 110 or email
info@idas.org.uk.
