Dermot O’Leary backs The Independent’s Brick by Brick campaign as Persimmon donates £25k to appeal

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Dermot O’Leary has backed The Independent’s campaign to build a safe home for women fleeing domestic abuse.

The TV presenter has joined the likes of Dame Helen Mirren, Rylan Clark, Olivia Colman and Queen Camilla to voice his support for the Brick by Brick appeal, which will build a refuge for victims of domestic abuse.

Mr O’Leary said: “No one should have to live with the threat of domestic abuse. The Brick by Brick appeal will help women and children get away from terrible situations that ruin lives, and will give hope to the millions of people who are faced with domestic abuse every single day.”

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

The 51-year-old’s support comes as the total raised for the appeal reached £126,155 following a generous £25,000 donation from one of Britain’s largest home builders, Persimmon.

Across the UK, thousands of women are desperate to find safety from the danger in their own homes, but one woman is turned away from a refuge every two hours due to a lack of space or capacity,

This is why The Independent has partnered with charity Refuge to raise £300,000 to build a home for women escaping abusive partners, and any child or pet they bring with them.

Here they can find safety and freedom, and rebuild their lives – brick by brick.

Groundwork for the house on the proposed site has already started thanks to generous donations from readers and celebrities, and Persimmon is building the house for the charity.

The donation from the Persimmon Charitable Foundation takes the project one step closer to its goal.

Anthony Vigor, chair of the trustees for the foundation, added: “All at the Persimmon Charitable Foundation are pleased to be supporting Refuge and The Independent on this positive campaign.

“It’s crucial that we do all we can to help women and children flee domestic abuse. Everyone has a right to feel safe in their home and we are also delighted to be building what will become a sanctuary for a family affected by this issue.

“I hope that our donation will play a small part in achieving a much larger goal of providing safety to those in need.”

The new house will be a semi-detached property with an open-plan kitchen, dining room, living room and a private garden.

It will also feature security measures such as a fireproof letterbox, CCTV, and enhanced locking features on windows and doors.

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.