The Independent’s Brick by Brick campaign for abuse victims has ‘caught the imagination’ of the public

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Louise Thomas

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The Independent’s campaign to build a house for victims of domestic abuse has “caught the imagination” of readers and the wider public, says the publication’s editor-in-chief as the fundraising total passes £100,000.

Geordie Greig gave the latest update on the ambitious fundraiser during an appearance on LBC with Nick Ferrari on Monday morning.

“It’s a very exciting campaign, it’s very simple,” Mr Greig said. “We are trying to build a house for the most desperate people, those who are the victims of domestic abuse. 

“For £300,000 pounds, we can build a house. We’ve got a builder, we’ve got a plot, we’ve got the first line of bricks going in and as Dame Joanna Lumley said, be a brick and buy a brick.”

“It’s our Brick by Brick campaign and it has truly caught the imagination from Joanna to the Queen, who sent us a donation after seeing our campaign. Victims of domestic abuse is one of the areas she has seen there is a lot of work to be done, to improve the way women get protected and how men can behave better.”

Also among those to support our campaign are Victoria Derbyshire, Rylan Clark, Cherie Blair, Dame Helen Mirren and Olivia Colman.

Through the scheme The Independent has partneredwith the charity Refuge who help protect victims of domestic abuse and provide them with shelter and support.

An average of one woman is killed by a partner or ex-partner every five days in England and Wales, with Refuge receiving a call for assistance every two minutes.

The house being built will have the latest security measures including a fire-proof letter box, CCTV, and enhanced locking features on windows and doors.

It will be linked to the local police force to ensure officers can get there quickly in the rare instance a woman’s abuser discovers where she is living.

“We hope it will be there permanently, if someone is in help they’ll have a sanctuary to go to. It’s very simple to help, if someone texts BRICK to 70560 that will buy a brick for £15,” Mr Greig said.

“It’s totally caught the imagination of our readers, the wider public. It hits a chord of people wanting to help those who are most vulnerable and it provides a solution.

“Everything counts. To quote Dame Joanna, be a brick, buy a brick. It really is something concrete, there’s a permanent legacy, it’s 100 per cent the money goes to this and we are very proud of it. It’s one of those campaigns you feel in your heart and you know in your head that it’s a winner.”

Please donate now to the Brick by Brick campaign, launched by The Independent and charity Refuge, to help raise £300,000 to build a safe space for women where they can escape domestic abuse, rebuild their lives and make new futures

Be a brick, buy a brick and donate here or text BRICK to 70560 to donate £15