As Chief Executive, working for this organisation is a huge privilege. We have a fantastic dedicated staff team who pull out all the stops to ensure each and every person has their needs met. We aim to help people make positive changes in their lives. Educating children and young people is a key part of the service producing excellent outcomes in behaviour change.
Fortalice are a Bolton based charity providing frontline services for people who are, or have been, affected by domestic abuse and violence.
Our support includes refuge accommodation, local community services, education and accredited training for professionals.
In our refuges we offer wraparound support to the women and children who stay with us. In the community, we provide individual and group work for adults and young people, healthy relationships courses in schools and an IDVA and ISVA service. Our team work with Bolton GP’s to raise awareness of domestic violence and encourage referrals.
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Our children at the refuge have been getting creative and taking part in some lovely Children in Need crafts!
It was wonderful to see their creativity, imagination and smiles as they got involved and made their own special creations.
Remembrance Day
Today, our children spent the morning taking part in some special Remembrance Day themed messy play.
Through sensory exploration, creativity and play, the children had the opportunity to learn about remembrance in a fun and age appropriate way helping us remember and honour those who have served and sacrificed.
A lovely morning of learning, exploring and remembering together.
Walk in Someone Else’s Shoes 👟💙
A huge thank you to the pupils, guardians and staff at St Joseph’s RC High School for organising a donation drive in support of Fortalice!
As part of the initiative, pupils were encouraged to donate essential items for the families we support, while wearing their own shoes for the day to help raise awareness and encourage empathy for others.
We are so grateful for the generous donations of essential items and a kind financial donation too. These donations will make a real difference to the families we work with, particularly during the winter months.
Thank you to everyone involved for your kindness, and generosity in helping our families 💙
A new opportunity is available for a motivated Domestic Abuse Family Support Worker (with Early Years) to join our highly experienced team in Refuge. The post is based within the Refuge setting and will involve various duties to meet the needs of the organisation. You can find further details on our website or phone us on 01204 365677.
2 0 2 7 - 5️⃣0️⃣ years since Fortalice was established! 🎗️💜
In our special year we are asking organisations to get in touch and support us Fortalice for our 50th Anniversary.
There are lots of ways you can support us, such as :
✨Choose us as your dedicated charity of the year
✨Sponsor one of our milestone events
✨Host a fundraiser in aid of Fortalice
✨Support with donations of items (please speak with fundraising to identify what we currently need)
However, you decide to support it all makes a difference in helping us to rebuild lives of our survivors and their families.
To support simply contact the team on fundraising@fortalice.co.uk we would love to hear from you!
#BoltonCharity #CharitySupport #Charityoftheyear
Feedback on our services…
Chief Executive
The service has given me time to think and plan for my future. It has given me more confidence to know that I can manage on my own and live independently. More than anything, when I was feeling low, staff always helped me to see the positive side and gave me strength and hope. I could not have done it without them.
I cannot thank you enough for the help and support you provided for my children and I. Although our stay was short, it’s impact and influence on us will empower us to turn our situation around and find our happily ever after. Lewis House is an amazing, healing place.
Being in Fortalice has really changed my life for the better. Me and my daughter have had so much support from all the fantastic staff. I have had time and help to fix myself and feel so much better in myself. Seeing my daughter blossom from a shy, quiet little girl into a bright, talkative and confident girl has made every second worth it.
Thank you so much for the support and willingness to take me on board. I really appreciate the valuable skills and experience that I have gained from volunteering at Fortalice.
Each volunteer contributes in their own unique way by supporting children either on a one to one basis, through group work or in one of the many positive activity sessions we provide. Their dedication, care and passion when working with the children enhances the support we are able to offer to children who are clearly traumatised and need time to heal.
I count it a privilege to travel 20 miles to be a Volunteer at Fortalice’s Refuge. The Refuge is an amazingly well run and well organised establishment. I chose to volunteer because in the past, when my family needed refuge, there was none available. The reciprocal rewards for me of giving something back are immense
It has been absolutely wonderful being able to work for Fortalice and I have gained so much valuable experience. Thank you so much for your help!
I have worked as a volunteer at Fortalice for 20 months now, initially on placement and now as a qualified counsellor. The counselling service is run extremely professionally, and there is a great collaborative approach to working as a team. It means so much to me to be able to offer something back and provide a safe and non-judgemental space for our clients.