Congleton's MP has called for an urgent meeting amid the potential closure of a domestica abuse charity.

Sarah Russell has written to the leader and deputy leader of Cheshire East Council following the news that MyCWA (Cheshire Without Abuse) may be forced to shut down.

Come April, the charity will no longer receive council funding after they were 'forced' to withdraw from a tender process designed to improve services in the borough.

In her letter, Mrs Russell said: "I am writing further to recent concerns about the decommissioning of MyCWA as a provider of domestic abuse services to my constituents.

"Anyone who is brave enough to seek help for domestic violence and abuse deserves our help, as I am sure you agree.

"I am highly concerned about the maintenance of services, and particularly concerned about the idea of all provision being taken in-house."

She added: "I am grateful for your offer to meet with me, and I'd like to take you up on this as soon as possible."

Mrs Russell's letter also includes nine questions for the council, which can be found at the bottom of this article.

Inside the MyCWA support centre in Crewe (Credit: PDR Photography)

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Last week, MyCWA launched a JustGiving page, seeking to raise £500,000.

This money would allow them to continue providing services such as a 24/7 crisis helpline, emergency refuge accommodation, specialist trauma recovery programmes for children, community outreach services and survivor support groups.

Last year alone these services were used by almost 4,000 vulnerable adults and children.

Chief executive Saskia Lightburn-Ritchie said: "I can't quite articulate how catastrophic the impact of this funding decision is going to be.

"It will be felt for generations to come."

Chief executive Saskia Lightburn-Ritchie (Credit: MyCWA)

Councillor Carol Bulman, chair of Cheshire East Council's children and families committee, explained that the council's budget for domestic abuse services will be the same in 2025/26 as it was in 2024/25.

A tender process was launched in a bid to enhance the quality of services available, which coucillor Bulman says MyCWA chose to withdraw from.

However, MyCWA claim they were 'forced' to pull out of the process as the proposed amount they would have received would not have even been enough to cover staffing costs.

Sarah Russell's questions for Cheshire East Council

1. The government has provided Cheshire East with an extra £100,000 towards domestic violence and abuse for 2025-26, which I know we all welcome. Can you clarify why this doesn't seem to be reflected in CEC's budget for domestic violence and abuse services for the next financial year?
2. Which organisation will replace MyCWA in providing refuge beds from the end of this financial year?
3. MyCWA say that they were being asked to tender for refuge bed spaces for a contract value that is a) half of that provided in 2010, for fewer spaces, and b) crucially, less than their staffing costs. This seems at odds with the council's announcement that the budget was being held level into the next financial year: please can you provide some clarity?
4. Are you able to provide any details of the tender process? For example: how many potential providers have put a bid in; who has the contract been awarded to; and how will CEC ensure that an alternative provider has the capacity to provide this critical service to a good standard, at the cost you have put out the tender for, given MyCWA's point that what was offered didn't cover their staffing costs?
5. How many refuge bed spaces are currently provided in Cheshire East, and approximately where are they located? I'm aware you won't be able to share precise locations, but it is critical for public safety that there is neither a temporary nor permanent reduction in bed spaces, and that they don't become more difficult for women to access.
6. Given that MyCWA have had very limited notice of the non-renewal of their contract, is there any scope for the contract to be extended for a period to allow for a smooth handover? I know MyCWA have raised concerns about already losing access to client data.
7. What work is ongoing to ensure no other services are impacted by this, and to maintain CEC's relationships with the community and voluntary sector, particularly those organisations with whom CEC has contracts, who may now be alarmed at what this means for the security of their own funding?
8. Some women may be concerned about the same organisation having statutory responsibility for children's social care while being the direct provider of their domestic abuse services. It is, however, an incredibly common trope of domestic abuse that the perpetrators attempt to convince women that their children will be taken into care if they seek help. What steps are being taken to address the very real risk that women may not be prepared to seek refuge if the only services provided are those in-house at Cheshire East? Has consideration been given to this risk as part of the recommissioning process?
9. Is there scope to work more closely with MyCWA, rather than removing their contract altogether, given that as a charity they can access and bid for grants for which a local authority would be ineligible? The potential of MyCWA is that, as a charity it can enable more money in total to be leveraged into domestic violence and abuse services across the county: is there a is a risk that moving the whole service in-house reduces the total potential available funding streams for all partners to support domestic violence and abuse services?