We have now seen the end of all our hard work and the beginning of a new phase when the Sanctuary Room at Stockport Police Station was opened by the Head of Greater Manchester Police Peter Fahy.
Members of Stockport Soroptimist wanted a really special project for their 70th Year in the Borough last year. They have long worked with Stockport’s Refuge for women victims of domestic abuse, but t
hey were aware of the need for somewhere really comfortable at the Police Station for any one suffering the immediate trauma of abuse.
hey were aware of the need for somewhere really comfortable at the Police Station for any one suffering the immediate trauma of abuse.Over the year the club raised £5,000 and in May a cheque for this amount was handed over and the work began to prepare the room that the Stockport Police had dedicated.
Now the room is ready with comfortable sofa and chair, a box stool which contains children’s toys, simple light wood furniture for tea and coffee making facilities, a standing uplighter and attractive pictures on the wall.
The Chief Constable congratulated Liz McConnell (President during the 70th year) and all the Stockport Soroptimists for their foreward thinking and the amount of work that must have gone into raising enough money for this room. He said every member of his staff appreciated what has been done and it will make their task a lot easier to be able to talk to victims in such comfortable surroundings. Victims of any sort of abuse will be more assured that they are in a safe place and that the police are there to help them. Peter Fahy also said that he hoped this would be the first of many such rooms in our own area and all over the country.
Liz McConnell said that we would be planting the seed in the minds of members of Soroptimist International and she felt sure that other such rooms would follow.