Around 30 vulnerable young women aged between 11 and 17 will be helped to increase their awareness of their personal safety and a further fifteen young women who are at risk of abuse will be given the support they need, thanks to a grant of £15,000 from Yorkshire West Riding Freemasons to the GetawayGirls charity.

GetawayGirls’ work is aimed at empowering young women so that they can live healthy, safe and fulfilled lives and the grant will enable the charity to further develop their provision of a Safe Space for girls and young women.

The programme will see thirty young women given increased awareness of Domestic Abuse, Child Sexual Exploitation and Child Criminal Exploitation while 15 more at risk will be offered support focusing on early intervention and recovery through individual support.

Child Criminal Exploitation involves children being pushed into crimes like theft and drug trafficking while Child Sexual Exploitation sees children, notably girls aged between eleven to 16 years old, facing abuse through grooming, manipulation or trafficking.

Getaway Girls is a small charity established in 1987 based in the Seacroft area of Leeds. Its aim is to empower girls and young women aged from eleven to 25 years old by teaching them new skills, building their personal confidence and resilience and raising their aspirations. They work with community and youth groups, and provide residential trips, educational workshops and vocational courses.