Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Matt Storey is joining with charities from across the region to talk about what can be done to halt violence against women and girls (VAWG).
One in three women and girls in Cleveland are likely to experience domestic and sexual violence in their lifetime.
Now, the PCC and Cleveland Women’s Network (CWN) has organised the One in Three conference on Wednesday 5 November 2025.
The conference aims to put stopping domestic abuse and sexual violence at the top of everyone’s agenda.
It will bring together survivors, policy makers and advocates to discuss what they can do together to tackle VAWG. The conference also aims to put the issue at the heart of funding strategies.
Andrew Ballinger from the north east-based Ballinger Charitable Trust is among the speakers. Dame Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, has filmed a message of support for the conference.
Cleveland PCC Matt Storey said: “One in three residents falling victim to a specific type of crime is an appalling statistic – and yet it happens to women across Cleveland year in, year out.
“The severity and scale of VAWG in our area is intolerable. The public have every right to expect immediate action.
“We must all take a stand against violence against women and girls. Domestic abuse and sexual violence is everyone’s business. We need to acknowledge that and work together to stamp it out.
“However, no single agency can do this alone – and no organisation can attempt it without the proper funding.
“That’s why I’ve launched the Fairer Funding: Safer Cleveland campaign with support from victims’ services. I want to make sure Government funding is given to areas like Cleveland based on need rather than population.”
Over the past four years, VAWG victim services have experienced a 41.5% rise in costs.
The biggest source of funding for most victims’ services – the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) – has decreased funding by 4.2% in the past year.
In Cleveland, CWN members and organisations supporting victims of VAWG are experiencing epidemic levels of victims.
Frontline workers are stretched and facing huge workloads, leading to burn-out and longer waiting lists for survivors.
Yasmin Khan, Chief Executive Officer of the Halo Project and CWN Chair, said: “In recent years, support services have found that some large grant funders are moving away from funding VAWG services.
“Their strategies appear to be increasingly focussed on homelessness and mental health.
“Not only do we want to call on funders to keep VAWG at the heart of their strategies but we need to collaborate locally to see what more we can all do together.
“We require funders to maintain their commitment to specialist VAWG services while we collaborate locally to shift the dial from crisis intervention to protecting victims from harm.
“Our funding model remains weighted towards crisis services rather than a preventative whole system approach, which would reduce demand, protect more survivors, and deliver better outcomes at a lower cost.”
At the end of the event, every attendee will be asked “What more can you do?”
Feedback will allow CWN to produce a single Action Plan with individual accountability.
Local commissioners and funders will be asked to adopt and embed this Action Plan into their work.
Click here to book your free place at the One in Three conference