Abonsh House
Abonsh House, which opened in August 2021, is our specialist refuge based in Greater Manchester, providing short-term accommodation for up to four single migrant women with no recourse to public funds, who are experiencing gender-based violence.
This includes single migrant women who have worries about their immigration status. We only accommodate single migrant women, as migrant women with children are eligible for support from the Local Authority under Section 17 of the Children Act.
Women residing in the refuge have access to intensive and specialist practical and emotional support to recover from their experience of gender-based violence.
They will also be immediately supported to access free legal support to regularise their status and access public funds, where possible.
Once women have recourse to public funds, they will be supported to move on from Abonsh House, either to another refuge/specialist accommodation provider or by presenting at the Local Authority housing department.
This ensures we can help as many women as possible who cannot gain access to refuge/emergency accommodation due to their status.
“I’m not someone who speaks much, but on behalf of all the women you’ve helped — thank you. When I came to the UK, I was 25, alone, and had been let down. But Safety4Sisters took me in with kindness, not judgment. You reminded me that my strength is mine, and no one can take it. You gave us hope, support, and the belief that we could rebuild our lives. Everything I am today is because of your care. We keep coming back because of the love and safety you gave us.”
How to make a referral
To make a referral into Abonsh House, please contact our team via info@safety4sisters.org. You will be provided with a referral form to complete and submit, which will be triaged by the management team. We will aim to respond to you as soon as we can. We will consider national referrals into Abonsh House, but we will prioritise referrals from within Greater Manchester.
Please note, we are a small team, and we receive a high number of referrals. Agencies and professionals should have exhausted all other routes to safety with the women they are supporting, prior to referring into Abonsh house.