Including Helplines
Your story will reach women who have experienced or are experiencing the same violence. Providing information on how to contact appropriate local and national sources of support can encourage women to seek help. It can save lives.
Please feel free to copy and paste the information below:
Police
999 – Emergency
101 – Non-Emergency
England
Domestic Abuse
The National Domestic Abuse Helpline (run by Refuge)
Telephone: 0808 2000 247 freephone
Open 24 hours a day
National Domestic Abuse Helpline BSL https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/en/bsl
Open Monday - Friday, 10am - 6pm
Email: helpline@womensaid.org.uk
Webchat: https://chat.womensaid.org.uk/
10am-4pm weekdays, and 10am-12pm on weekend.
Find your local domestic abuse service at https://www.womensaid.org.uk/domestic-abuse-directory/
The National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline (run by Galop)
Telephone: 0800 999 5428
Open Monday- Friday 10am – 5pm and Wednesday and Thursday 10am – 8:00pm
Email: help@galop.org.uk
Webchat: https://galop.org.uk/get-help/helplines/
Open Wednesday and Thursday 5pm – 8pm.
This helpline is for LGBT+ people who have or are experiencing domestic abuse.
Rape and Sexual Assault
Rape, sexual assault and childhood sexual abuse
Contact a local Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) – or one of the Havens in London – for immediate medical and emotional support after rape or assault.
The Rape Crisis National Helpline
Telephone: 0808 802 9999
Open every day of the year 12pm – 2.30pm and 7pm – 9.30pm
Webchat: https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-help/live-chat-helpline/about-the-live-chat-helpline/
Open Monday and Tuesday 2pm-4.30pm, 6pm-9pm, Wednesday 12pm-2.30pm, 6pm-9pm, Thursday 12pm-2.30pm, 6pm-8.30pm and Friday, 9am-11.30am, 2pm-4.30pm.
Service supports victims/survivors aged 13+ or those supporting them. Local Rape Crisis support centres can be found via the Rape Crisis website.
Stalking
Telephone: 0808 802 0300
Open Monday - Friday, 9.30-4pm
Women’s Aid’s Digital Stalking guide to protect yourself online
Trafficking
Metropolitan police trafficking hotline
Telephone: 0800 783 2589
Open every day, 24 hours a day
Service to report suspected trafficking
Prostitution
In London, you can contact Women at the Well if you are looking for support.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) helpline (run by NSPCC)
Telephone: 0800 028 3550
Open 24 hours a day
Email: fgmhelp@nspcc.org.uk
FGM helpline is run by NSPCC in partnership with the Metropolitan Police and specialist support organisations including Daughters of Eve, Equality Now and Forward)
Specialist support for black and minoritised women
Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS) Domestic Violence/Abuse
Telephone: 0808 145 4909
Open Monday- Friday,1am to 1pm
Email: info@lawrs.org.uk
Southall Black Sisters helpline
Telephone: 020 8571 0800
Open Monday- Friday, 10am-5pm.
List of specialists by and for BME ending VAWG agencies compiled by Imkaan: https://www.imkaan.org.uk/get-help
Telephone: 0800 5999 247
Open Monday - Friday 9am-5pm
Supporting victims of honour-based abuse and forced marriage
Legal advice for women experiencing violence & harassment
Rights of Women provide free and confidential legal advice covering family law, criminal law, immigration & asylum law and sexual harassment. Details of their advice lines can be found on the Rights of Women's website.
Scotland
Domestic Abuse
Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline
Telephone: 0800 027 1234
Open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day
Email: helpline@ndafmhs.org.uk
Free and confidential service for anyone of any gender who has experienced domestic abuse or forced marriage.
Rape and Sexual Assault
Telephone: 08088 01 03 02
Open 6pm - midnight every night
Email: support@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk
Text: 07537 410 027
Free and confidential support and information for anyone, women and men, affected by sexual violence, no matter when or how it happened.
Full details of access to support for people who are deaf or hard of hearing can be found at https://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/help-deaf-access-to-support/
Rape Crisis Scotland can arrange for language interpreters.
Stalking
Telephone: 0808 802 0300
Open Monday to Friday, 9:30am – 4pm
This is a confidential service if you're affected by stalking. The National Stalking helpline provide impartial advice and information to men and women, including: how to identify if you're being stalked, the law on stalking, how to protect yourself, talking to the police.
Commercial Sexual Exploitation
Telephone: 0141 418 0748
Monday - Friday, 9am –5pm
Email: enquiries@womenssupportproject.org.uk
A feminist voluntary organisation, which works to raise awareness of the extent, causes and effect of male violence against women, and for improved services for those affected by violence, including prostitution and other forms of commercial sexual exploitation.
Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance (TARA)
Telephone: 0141 276 7724
Email: CommsafetyTARA@glasgow.gov.uk
Support service for trafficking survivors, to help identify and support women who may have been trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) helpline (run by NSPCC)
Telephone: 0800 028 3550
Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Free and confidential help for anyone who is worried a child is at risk of, or has had, FGM.
Telephone: 0800 11 11
Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Webchat: https://www.childline.org.uk/get-support/1-2-1-counsellor-chat/
Free and confidential service to help anyone under 19 in the UK with any issue they’re going through.
Specialist support for black and minoritised women
Amina Muslim Women’s Resource Centre
Telephone: 0808 801 0301
Open 10am-4pm, Monday to Fri
Help for women in English, Urdu, Arabic, Punjabi, Bangli and Swahili and, when required, using online interpreting.
Saheliya works in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and other parts of Scotland to support the mental health and well-being of women (12+) experiencing racial inequality. This includes asylum seeking and refugee women.
Edinburgh 0131 556 9302
Glasgow 0141 552 6540
Telephone: 0131 475 2399
Open 9.30am-4pm Monday to Fri
Help for black and minority ethnic (BME) women, children and young people who are experiencing, or who have experienced, domestic abuse.
Other useful helplines
Telephone: 0808 802 4040
Open 9am-5pm – Mon-Fri
Free and confidential service for anyone who is concerned about their own behaviour towards their partner (male, female, in heterosexual or same-sex relationships).
Scottish Women's Rights Centre
Telephone: 08088 010 789
Open Monday 2pm to 5 pm, Tuesday 6pm to 8pm, Wednesday 11am to 2pm, Friday 10am to 1pm
Helpline for across Scotland providing free legal help for women affected by violence, such as domestic abuse, rape, stalking, forced marriage and human trafficking. Phone the helpline or book an appointment for one of the surgeries in Dundee, Edinburgh, Forth Valley, Glasgow, Inverness, Lanarkshire.
Telephone: 0800 160 1985
Open 8am-8pm, Mon-Fri
Webchat: Self-referral form
Open 8am-8pm, Monday - Friday, 9am – 1pm Saturday
Gives free and confidential support to men and women, and practical help for victims and witnesses of crime.
Other useful contacts for the media
A membership organisation working on an anti-sexist agenda in Scotland and Europe to increase women’s power and influence and make visible the impact of sexism on women, men and society.
Telephone: 0131 558 9596
Email: info@engender.org.uk
Media contact: media@engender.org.uk
A list of expert women of colour in Scotland who can be consulted about a range of issues.
Gender Equal Media Scotland brings together academics, journalists, campaign groups and organisations working for women’s equality in Scottish media together to work toward a Scottish media which treats women equally – as employees, as contributors and as subjects of media attention.
Email: info@genderequalmedia.scot
Media contact: Karen Boyle, Professor of Feminist Media Studies
Northern Ireland
Domestic & Sexual Violence Helpline
Telephone: 0808 802 1414
Open 24 hours a day
Email: 24hrsupport@dvhelpline.org
Text: 07797 805 839
Freephone from all landlines and mobiles. Translation service available. Open to all women and men affected by domestic & sexual violence
Stalking
Telephone: 0808 802 0300
Open Monday to Friday, 9:30am – 4pm
This is a confidential service if you're affected by stalking. The National Stalking helpline provide impartial advice and information to men and women, including: how to identify if you're being stalked, the law on stalking, how to protect yourself, talking to the police.
Wales
Domestic abuse and rape and sexual assault
Telephone: 0808 80 10 800
Open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day
Text: 07860077333
Email: info@livefearfreehelpline.wales
Webchat: https://gov.wales/live-fear-free/contact-live-fear-free
National Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and/or Sexual Violence Helpline for Wales and provides information, advice and support to individuals who have experienced, or are concerned that someone they know may be experiencing this violence.
Check Welsh Women’s Aid Website for contact details to support details in your local area https://www.welshwomensaid.org.uk/information-and-support/find-your-local-service/
In North Wales (Anglesey, Conwy, Gwynedd, Flintshire, Denbighshire and Wrexham)
Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) North Wales
Telephone: 01248 670 628
Email: support@rasawales.org.uk
This service provides one to one support and/or counselling. To access anonymous email support from
RASASC North Wales provide a confidential and safe environment so that you can access the support you need. RASASC North Wales offers an equal service to men, women and children. Upon request we can provide women only or men only spaces.
Telephone: 01978 352 717
Email: info@steppingstonesnorthwales.co.uk
This service provides therapeutic services to adults who have been sexually abused as children.
Stalking
Telephone: 0808 802 0300
Open Monday to Friday, 9:30am – 4pm
This is a confidential service if you're affected by stalking. The National Stalking helpline provide impartial advice and information to men and women, including: how to identify if you're being stalked, the law on stalking, how to protect yourself, talking to the police.
In Mid, West, East and South Wales
Telephone: 01685 379 310
Email: enquiries@newpathways.org.uk
This service provides support for victim/survivors of sexual violence.
Specialist support for black and minoritised women
Telephone: 0800 731 8147
Open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day
Email: info@bawso.org.uk
This service operates Wales-wide and provides practical and emotional support to black minority ethnic (BME) and migrant victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, human trafficking, Female Genital Mutilation and forced marriage.
Related downloads
Media Guidelines on Violence Against Women and Girls for Broadcast
Media Guidelines on reporting on men's violence against women and girls for broadcast journalism.
Zero Tolerance's Media Guidelines on Violence Against Women and Girls for Print
Zero Tolerance's media guidelines on violence against women and girls are for journalists, editors, and other media professionals.
