Celebrating 50 Years of Solace: Supporting Women, Changing Lives
About Solace
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Solace Women’s Aid and what a legacy it is. With a powerful celebration held at the House of Commons and strong cross-party support, including from MP Jess Phillips, it’s clear how vital their work is, and how deeply it's valued across the capital and beyond.
Solace supports over 18,000 women and children each year, with a dedicated team of more than 300 staff and 100 volunteers working across Pan-London services. From immediate crisis response to long-term recovery, their work offers safety, advocacy and healing to survivors of domestic and sexual violence, staying with each woman throughout her journey.
WIN & IYF Visit to Solace
We at the Women’s Irish Network (WIN), along with our partners at the Irish Youth Foundation (IYF), recently visited Solace to learn more about the impact of the programmes we help support, including Nessa’s House, a community space funded by WIN and named in memory of our founder, Nessa O'Neill, who generously left a building to Solace in her will.
One of the most inspiring parts of our visit was hearing from Nancy, who leads Solace’s Irish & Irish Traveller Outreach Programme, the only service of its kind in London specifically supporting Irish women from a Traveller background. Her work provides vital, culturally informed support for women and young people facing some of the most complex barriers to safety. Nancy is a lifeline to so many and we’re proud to stand behind her and want to do more to help.
Looking ahead, WIN will be running a volunteer day at Solace, inviting our members to roll up their sleeves and volunteer at some of their many refuges; safe, healing spaces for women and children rebuilding their lives.
We are proud to stand with Solace and IYF, and we are honoured to support such vital, life-changing work. Here’s to 50 years of Solace and many more to come.
How you can get involved
Learn more about Solace Women’s Aid
Discover how IYF supports Irish communities
Join us on an upcoming WIN/IYF volunteer day - details coming soon!
