Havant & South Downs College Health & Social Care students donate toiletries to women’s refugee charity

The students, who are currently on a Level 1 course at the College, decided to take action after seeing a call for donations for the charity Stop Domestic Abuse.  

Lecturer Vicki Wise said: “We saw an advert saying Stop Domestic Abuse were looking for make up and toiletries for women who have been taken into refuge. We decided the students should make up some boxes and advertise around the College to try and collect as many items as possible.

“When women go into refuge, they don’t have anything, so we wanted to help by giving them something to make them feel a bit better. We have collected loads of items such as make up, shower gel, body spray.”

Chris Doyle, Children’s Outreach Worker at the charity, visited Havant & South Downs College on 5 June to collect the items.

He said: “We’ve got a lot of clients who flee domestic abuse and come to refuge with nothing but the clothes on their back, so we always give them toiletries and other items.

“Sometimes the staff organise makeover sessions to perk up morale, so these items are really useful.

“We have recently expanded so we now have ten different refuges in Hampshire, so this donation is really valuable, so thank you very much, the students’ hard work is really appreciated.”