WILTSHIRE Community Foundation is celebrating the part played by women in the community to mark International Women’s Day on Monday.

Joint chief executive Fiona Oliver said: “We fund some wonderful groups whose projects protect, nurture and inspire women and we think that is worth applauding every day, but particularly on International Women’s Day, which exists to honour the achievements of women, raise awareness about equality and fundraise for female-focused charities.”

Among those groups is Pewsey-based Home-Start Kennet, which helps families all over north and west Wiltshire, particularly mums, who are isolated and suffering from anxiety and loneliness.

“It has been quite challenging reaching the families in because our normal referral routes, like health visitors, have almost gone” said fundraiser Joanne Kent. “Even now health visitors are having reduced contact and we are hearing they are just overwhelmed with complex need, such as safeguarding issues.”

Mighty Girls CIC works with girls aged from seven to 14 in west Wiltshire but has also been reaching further across the county with online sessions during the lockdowns instead of the after school clubs it usually runs in Bradford on Avon and Trowbridge. It received a £2,400 grant from the community foundation’s coronavirus Response and Recovery Fund.

Director Marsha Mars said the group’s aim is giving girls some inspiration. “What we have found in consultation with the young people on our steering group is that one of the main issues is that their sleep routine has been completely thrown out over lockdown, so we wanted to help with that because if girls aren’t getting enough sleep, they won’t make it through the day,” said Mrs Mars.

Splitz Support Services, which was recently awarded a second coronavirus fund grant by the community foundation, helps victims of domestic violence find a place of safety to rebuild their lives.

The Trowbridge group, which helps women from west Wiltshire as well as Devizes and Chippenham, has seen a 60 per cent rise in demand on last year for some of its service, said business manager Jacqui Orchard. “Social isolation and ongoing restrictions have confined victims with their abusers with limited access to support networks,” she added.

The group, launched in 1989, provides phone support for women living in fear of an abusive partner, provides shelter in temporary accommodation and emergency grants, particularly for women who are asylum seekers and have no recourse to public funds.

Splitz has a buddy service for women who have managed to flee abusive partners but are still living with the effects of their ordeal. Mrs Orchard said: “These clients are very, very isolated because often they have lost their family networks, they are holed up with small children and the buddy can be the only person they have contact with. We are helping them build their new life.”

Mrs Oliver said: “All over the county there are girls and women who are being helped to overcome enormous challenges by the groups we help fund. We are really proud of the part we play in that but also very inspired by the work they do.”

Find out more about the community foundation’s work at wiltshirecf.org.uk.