OBJECT
THE ZENA FOUNDATION IS UNIQUE, it is an unprecedented Charity committed to helping UK organisations and the police, when an individual is fleeing from a Culturally Aggravated Murder (CAM) or Domestic Violence (DV), and leaves with nothing but the clothes on their back. The victim has been physically and mentally abused by their partner or threatened by the victim’s family, for refusing an arranged marriage and has no recourse to public funds.

If the victim approaches the police, or an organisation needing help because they fear for their life, or has to be moved over a County line or even remain within their own County and funds cannot be made available, this victim has no recourse to public funds. This will be a huge strain and virtually impossible to access these funds if the victim is being relocated from anywhere else within the UK.

Refuge has highlighted that many women stay in a DV home, rather than face financial hardship. The Forced Marriage unit at the Home Office has shown that figures have risen by 80% as families are hiring Bounty Hunters to track victims of CAM. Zena’s own story first highlighted this in 1997 in the book Runaways, when extracts read by MP Anne Cryer in the House of Commons led to creating the first women’s working group looking into ethnic minorities murders.

This special Government unit that prevents young British citizens being married off dealt with 300 cases in the first half of 2008, up from 168 from 2007. Mr. Wayne Ives, head of the Forced Marriage Unit said “It’s not simply a cultural ceremony. Its people being abused, being raped”.

Philip Balmforth, a leading authority in dealing with Forced Marriage victims, recently emailed me stating “If a woman has a child, payment is made under section 17 children’s Act 1989, subject to assessment. If childless, then that individual is paid under section 21 National Assistance Act 1948.” However, a recent High Court Appeal involving Oxfordshire County Council, states ‘an individual can only be paid this if she or he is in need of care i.e.; some sort of care due to illness (mental/physical, hearing impaired, sight impaired). Those without children who HAVE NO CARE needs are now legally excluded from receiving any funds whatsoever. Some local authorities refuse to accept either the National Assistance Act or the Children’s Legislation Act. Authorities say they would pay for the child (equivalent to current state child benefit) and nothing to the woman, or, take the child into care and the mother would return to the abusive situation. As highlighted in Zena’s book, Philip Balmforth, has also come across how individuals have been moved over County lines where that County will not take responsibility for victims.

The Home County says it is not their problem that the victim now lives elsewhere, and if you bring the individual back we will refuse to deal with them. Sadly the only one to suffer is the victim who ends up being caught in the middle.

HOW THE FOUNDATION POLICY WILL WORK
The Foundation will help and support the police, or organisation, financially to relocate victims under their own name or new identity, within their own County, or anywhere within the UK, when there is no recourse to public funds, or where the victim has no access to personal funds.

The police, or organisation, will be asked to give a brief outline of the case (CAM/DV), what the funds are required for and how much. An e-mail of confirmation will be requested. However, if the police, or organisation, are prepared to access their own funds because the victim needs to be moved immediately an assurance will be given that funds will be repaid swiftly via bank transfer to cover the requested amount. Funds cannot and will not be released to any one individual who might approach the Foundation directly.

These monies will be Bank Transferred as a one-off payment that will be given directly to the police, or organisation, that has approached the Foundation on behalf of the victim to help towards either, rental accommodation, (private or council), Bed and Breakfast accommodation, food, clothing, or any essential furniture, until state funding can effectively step in, (Refuge, 10 December 2008, have just launched a guide, ‘You can afford to leave,’ that can be downloaded from Refuge, giving important advice to women who will experience financial difficulties or financial abuse). However, this is not direct financial help, but only important information which the victim will need once the police, or organisation, has removed the victim from CAM or DV home with the help of the Zena Foundation.

This will also benefit the person who comes to the UK on a marriage visa and finds they are in an abusive relationship. For this individual there is no state funding, and therefore each case will be taken on merit. If the victim fears for their own life from the spouse, and not their own family, and the victim wishes to return home, for example, funds will be made available for a ticket and travel back to their homeland. If, however, the individual wishes to remain within the United Kingdom because threat to life and disownment is from the spouse and victim’s family, then the foundation will give a current state benefit for living expenditure. They will receive the main continuous help and support from the police, or organisation, that the victim first came in contact with.

This is a growing problem for UK citizens, as highlighted in an article by Alexander Topping for The Guardian dated the 23/01/08 “No help at hand”, outlining the difficulties faced by women’s organisations on No Recourse to Public Funds. Therefore the Foundation will campaign to raise awareness of these extreme cases. The Southall Black Sisters have estimated 600 women a year arrive here in the United Kingdom as dependants and become victims of DV. If they can prove that the marriage break down was due to DV, they have the right to remain here under the 2002 DV act, but still have no recourse to public funds. The Imkaan organisation, which help Black, Minority ethnic and refugee refuges, state that in a two year period in London 537 applications, 47 whom had children were refused housing and support. Sadia Ashiq dealt with nine women who had no recourse for five months while working at the Rochdales homelessness unit says: “that this is creating an underground sex industry”.

Liberal Democrat MP Paul Rowen for Rochdale has taken up the issue “No Recourse to Public Funds” in the House of Commons. After a social worker compiled a report in September 2007 revealing that, at that time 17 women faced destitution in Rochdale alone, Mr. Rowen voiced if this is happening in a small town like Rochdale then it is happening throughout the UK.

AT ALL TIMES THE MAIN SUPPORT WILL ALWAYS BE PROVIDED BY THOSE GOVERNMENT BODIES ORIGINALLY HELPING THE VICTIMS

MISSION
Rebuilding Shattered Lives of Culturally Aggravated Murders And Domestic Violence Survivors

VISION
That in 5 years the Zena Foundation will be working closely with United Nations, UNICEF, and Amnesty International. To help move victims not just Counties but Countries

VALUES

• TRUST by delivering the Foundation policy
• LOYAL to the cause
• COMPASSIONATE lends helping hands to those who need it the most
• INSPIRATIONAL Foundation that becomes a sign of hope to others

Patron	John McCarthy CBE;
Chairman	Professor Colin Turner; The Author of 15 international bestselling books published in 45 countries and 39 languages. His thought-provoking work has been instrumental in inspiring business and individuals to release potential and to make a real difference.
Trustees	Moira Dickinson; Survivor of Domestic Violence , Foundation Events and Marketing Coordinator, Foundation fundraiser and website management. Emma Richardson; DV Support Worker, Charity Administrator.
Financial Advisor	Simon Erskine; MA (Cantab) FCA FCIE DChA; of Gotham Erskine, Ranked first for commitment to the voluntary sector and for technical competence, and Treasurer for the Medical Foundation.
Secretary	Jayne Middleton’Albooye; Volunteer
Charity Advisor	John Baguley PhD; MBA of International Fundraising Consultancy
Director & Founder	Zena Briggs; I fled an arranged marriage, spent 16 years on a witness protection scheme, wrote a book that created debate, caused a media frenzy (from The New York Times to Aljazeera), and put the Forced Marriage issue never known or discussed about before smack bang on the table. Government could not ignore it, and no longer sit on the fence about it. It was a precedent-setting case, and created the first Women’s Working Group looking into ethic minority murders.
Staff	Voluntary
Website	Simon Burge; Director, Media Garden Limited; FREE
Posters	Mark Fawcett-Jones; Managing Director, Planxpress & Omicron; FREE
Business Cards	Mark Fawcett-Jones; Managing Director, Planxpress & Omicron; FREE