More than 20,000 signatures on petition to save Sheffield domestic abuse charity

Vida Sheffield is an independent charity that says it saves the NHS £50,000 a month but its existence is in jeopardy as it’s missing vital funding to keep going.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has previously reported that Vida bosses have called Sheffield City Council leaders to help out or risk permanent closure from the end of the month.

A petition started by the charity to urge Cllr Tom Hunt, the leader of the council, to step in now has more than 20,000 signatures.

In the meantime, Vida Sheffield has won the support of The Specialist Psychotherapy Services.

In a statement sent by Dr Jo Sessions, consultant clinical psychologist, she wrote: “We wanted to write to you as a whole service to support Vida’s bid for funding.

“As an NHS service, we frequently and routinely signpost referrals for women who have experienced abuse to Vida for trauma-focused therapy. Being able to signpost clients to their service where appropriate helps us to continue to function as a psychotherapy service.

“We already have long waiting lists, and without services like Vida, the wait for therapy with our teams would be even longer, and therefore more distressing for our vulnerable clients.

“The work that services such as Vida do are literally life-saving for those that use them. It does not just benefit individuals but has intergenerational benefits too. Additionally, Vida has supported therapy students over the years, including NHS professionals, and their training placements are very highly regarded.”

She added losing Vida would make “matters worse”.

Vida is said to need £15,000 to £20,000 each month to continue to provide its much-needed services.