Aanchal was founded in 1984 by Sudarshan Bhuhi MBE who - while working for a charity called Community Links - responded to the need of an Asian woman who had been subjected to domestic abuse. This lead to the birth of Apna Ghar - an arm of Community Links. In 2005, Apna Ghar had grown to such a level that Su decided to establish Aanchal as an independent charity. Aanchal is based in Newham and mainly operates in all the London boroughs but we provide support to Asian women on a national level.
Our key people
- Sudarshan Bhuhi, CEO
- Madhu Mukerji-Miller, Chair, Board of Directors
- Margaretha van der Schyf, Trustee and Treasurer
How are we funded?
Currently about 50% of our funding comes from the statutory sector and 50% from private corporate funding. We would like to increase our funding from the corporate sector to enable us to kick-start new projects. If you or your organisation would like to get involved, please visit our Help Us page.
Currently about 50% of our funding comes from the statutory sector and 50% from private corporate funding. We would like to increase our funding from the corporate sector to enable us to kick-start new projects. If you or your organisation would like to get involved, please visit our Help Us page.
What do we do?
Aanchal was set up to provide help to South Asian women affected by domestic abuse. We help in the following ways:
- We stop a violent situation from escalating by offering emergency care with immediate referral to safety and shelter.
- We offer counselling and emotional support through an accredited counselling telephone service.
- We offer emotional support through our support group sessions and self development workshops.
- We offer an advocacy service to help our service users access housing and welfare benefits.
- We give legal advice and provide advocacy in issues regarding child protection and immigration status.
- We work with young people and local communities to raise awareness of domestic abuse.
- We are expanding our service by implementing future programmes that provide service users with education and skills training.
Our core values
Equality: We aim to treat everyone with equality.
Quality: We are committed to developing and delivering services of high quality.
Holistic service: The road from victim to fully independent citizen is long. From first contact, we aim to help each service user until she reaches a point of independence and self-sufficiency.
Partnerships: No organisation can break the cycle of domestic abuse alone. We are committed to working positively in partnerships with related agencies.
Forward-looking: We are open to change and strive to respond and evolve to meet the changing needs of the communities we help
Empowerment: We believe that individuals need to be self-sufficient in order to move forward. We are committed to providing strong, sustainable programmes that will provide education and skills training to women affected by domestic abuse.
For a complete list of our services, please go to our List of Services section.
Some important facts and figures about domestic abuse and Aanchal.
Equality: We aim to treat everyone with equality.
Quality: We are committed to developing and delivering services of high quality.
Holistic service: The road from victim to fully independent citizen is long. From first contact, we aim to help each service user until she reaches a point of independence and self-sufficiency.
Partnerships: No organisation can break the cycle of domestic abuse alone. We are committed to working positively in partnerships with related agencies.
Forward-looking: We are open to change and strive to respond and evolve to meet the changing needs of the communities we help
Empowerment: We believe that individuals need to be self-sufficient in order to move forward. We are committed to providing strong, sustainable programmes that will provide education and skills training to women affected by domestic abuse.
For a complete list of our services, please go to our List of Services section.
Some important facts and figures about domestic abuse and Aanchal.
