Charity set up to tackle domestic violence

An all-female estate agency has launched its own charity dedicated to tackling domestic violence after staff realised the extent of the problem through their own experiences.

St Neots-based Noonan Property Services set up The Property Angels Foundation as the number of abuse cases was reported to have soared during the pandemic.

Last year, the team raised more than £2,000 for Cambridge Women's Aid so that children affected by domestic violence could have some presents over Christmas.

The charity, which covers Huntingdonshire, also has a fundraising 2022 calendar on sale featuring scenes from the St Neots area.

Joanne Noonan, founder of The Property Angels Foundation, said they had wanted to support a cause which was close to their hearts as part of an all-female organisation.

 “As an all female estate agency, we talk and when chatting at a staff meeting, we discovered we had all experienced domestic abuse in one form or another at some point in our lives. It was incredible," she said.

"We decided then and there, this was a cause we just had to champion - it meant so much to us all. And so, The Property Angels Foundation was born, and the fundraising began.”

The charity now supports families affected by domestic abuse in St Neots, Huntingdon and St Ives and were particularly keen to act at a time of increasing domestic abuse being reported during the pandemic and with the Christmas period looking particularly bleak.

Joanne said: “Domestic violence charities told us they feared this Christmas could be worse than usual, with added financial pressures on families brought about by the pandemic, exacerbating the impact on those who are at risk.”

The Property Angels Foundation is now planning community events in St Neots, Huntingdon and St Ives to raise awareness of domestic abuse, together with fundraising activities.

Fundraising includes sales of the community calendar A Year in St Neots - Photographs from Around Our Town, featuring the work of local photographer Sally Jex, whose images on Facebook captured the public's imagination during lockdown.

The calendars are on sale now at £7.50 each. and are available at www.propertyangelsfoundation.org/2022-calendar . Information about the charity is at www.propertyangelsfoundation.org .