A charity dedicated to helping victims of abuse is appealing to the pubic for support to continue its work.The Centre Against Abuse, which spends $700,000 each year to provide a safe-house and counselling services to victims of abuse, receives an annual $100,000 Government grant, but relies on funds from corporate and individual donors to continue its work, according to executive director Laurie Shiell.One of its new projects includes building a 27-bed safe house, at a cost of around $2.2 million, which will begin housing women and children this summer.The temporary facility it is running only houses seven people, meaning resources are severly limited at the moment, Ms Shiell said.While the organisation has secured funding for the new building, there is still a need for cash to buy furniture, including beds and couches.Ms Shiell said there was also a need for grocery vouchers and gift certificates as many clients fled their abusive relationship with just the clothes on their backs.Speaking to the Hamilton Rotary Club on Tuesday, Ms Shiell said the centre provided many crucial services, including 24-hour hotlines, anger management services, mediation for relationship issues like divorce and child custody matters, as well as group and individual counselling.All of these, particularly the safe house, which is the only one of its kind on the Island, need funds to continuing operating at current standards.She said: “The Centre Against Abuse has provided the only safe house on this Island for women and their children since 1979. This haven is the difference (between) life and death for many.“It is important that we maintain a safe house in Bermuda and studies have shown that access to a safe house leads to a 60 to 70 percent reduction in incident and severity of reassault in the first three to 12-month follow up period, compared to women who did not have access to a safe house.“Studies have also shown that access to a safe house led to greater reduction in severe reassault than seeking court or law enforcement protection or moving to a family or friend’s house.”She said the safe house protected women of all races, socio-economic backgrounds and age groups. The youngest clients at the shelter have been newborns, as very often pregnant women have to flee for their lives to save their unborn child, said Ms Shiell.The oldest abuse victim known to the shelter was in her late 70s and used their facilities before Government established its senior’s office, she said.“Our safe house clients represent every nationality and are the same groups that walk the streets of Bermuda everyday. We work with anyone that lives in Bermuda and yes we have worked with individuals visiting and living at our hotels.”In addition to opening the safe-house, the centre will be launching a new radio talk-show programme early this year to educate the public on abuse.Ms Shiell said the charity was working with Youth and Families Minister Glenn Blakeney to develop the once-monthly broadcast on Magic 102.7.“We are going to have our own radio show we just have to talk over the fine details of it. We will be talking about various issues and be bringing people to talk such as lawyers to tell people what their rights are and how to obtain protection orders and what that means.“We will have people like abusers, victims, children of abuse (discuss their situations). We are trying to capture everything,” she said.Ms Shiell said the show was an important step in getting the word out to a wider audience and letting people know what services are available to them.lFor more information on the centre’s services or to donate call 292-4366 or visit www.abusefree.org.