Virgin Media O2 Business donate hundreds of mobile phones to support victims and survivors of domestic abuse or sexual assault across East Anglia
Virgin Media O2 Business is donating over 500 mobile phones to help victims and survivors of domestic abuse or sexual assault living in East Anglia. The phones will be distributed in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk via support services.
Through a recent police contract with 7F Commercial Services*, Virgin Media O2 Business offered to donate new mobile phones to Leeway, Catch-22, and Mountain Healthcare free-of-charge as part of their social value commitment. The donated devices will enable service users of the registered support services to have access to a safe phone to contact support, emergency services, and family, if they do not have access to a phone already. This is important as, in some circumstances, mobile phones have been broken or confiscated by perpetrators.
Some of the phones will come with free SIM cards and mobile data from the National Databank – which was founded by Virgin Media O2 and the UK’s leading digital inclusion charity, Good Things Foundation. The National Databank is a like a food bank but for free data, texts and calls, helping to connect people in need.
Norfolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Sarah Taylor, said: “As a Police and Crime Commissioner, I am responsible for commissioning practical and emotional support services for victims of crime in Norfolk.
“These phones could be, quite literally, a lifeline for vulnerable victims and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault. Not only will they provide the necessary connectivity to contact support services but will also help to alleviate some of the isolation people can feel. Making sure that more people recovering from domestic abuse or sexual assault have the opportunity to communicate with family members outside of the home, will no doubt have a positive impact on their mental health too. I’m very grateful to Virgin Media O2 Business and 7F Commercial Services who made this happen. This is a fantastic initiative and I’m looking forward to talking with other businesses about how they can support my office’s work too.”
Bedfordshire’s Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, Umme Ali commented: “One of my core focusses is supporting the PCC to develop strategies to reduce violence against women and children. I therefore wholly welcome this initiative and would like to thank Virgin Media O2 Business for contributing towards alleviating some of the anxiety and fear that is felt by victims of these awful crimes.
“In Bedfordshire, we fund support services for victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence and I will continue to always put victims at the heart of policing and the wider criminal justice system.”
Charlotte Hails, Head of Public Sector Vertical Strategy at Virgin Media O2 Business, said: “As a former senior police officer who specialised in Safeguarding and Public Protection, I know first-hand that mobile phones and connectivity are critical to ensuring victims and survivors are not isolated and can receive support. By partnering with local organisations in East Anglia, Virgin Media O2 Business is helping ensure victims and survivors receive the smartphones and data they need. This builds on our commitment to support police forces and communities across the UK to improve public safety and reduce crime.”
For more information about supporting victims
* 7F Commercial Services uses collaborative buying power for all seven police forces in the eastern region, which includes the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Kent, to obtain better value for money from their contracts.