Our refuge
The accommodation we can provide
Our refuge at Gilgal Birmingham has newly refurbished rooms and warm, welcoming spaces where our residents can settle and feel safe. Our aim is for everyone to feel as comfortable as they can under the circumstances in which they have come to us.
Gilgal in numbers
1337
referrals in the last decade
426
women and children helped in the last decade
14
rooms
5
self-contained flats
Our accommodation
We have two properties, each in secure locations. Both of our locations are staffed by women only, although from time to time there are visiting male contractors. The main site has 14 rooms that can house up to 27 residents;
- 14 women and up to 13 children
- 5 rooms for single women
- 9 family rooms
- 4 for mum + two children
- 5 for mum + one child
We allocate our rooms according to need, which we try to accommodate as well as we can. We have four shared bathrooms and two shared kitchens, along with one ensuite family room. Residents are given independence in their space and are therefore expected to keep their rooms clean and tidy, and to stick to cleaning schedules in shared spaces such as the kitchen and bathroom.
Additionally, we have five self-contained flats which are located in the original Gilgal building from 1994. We offer these as move-on accommodation for single women.
Please note that the current Gilgal refuge has limited accessibility for those with mobility issues and is not wheelchair accessible. On your referral form, please indicate any particular requirements you have, accessibility or mobility, number of children, or any other additional needs that might affect your comfort whilst at the refuge. Wherever we can, we will accommodate your needs and make any adjustments for you.
Support starts here
Find your place at Gilgal
The Children’s Room
In addition to the 14 bedrooms at Gilgal, we have two shared kitchens and four bathrooms, which are a mixture of single toilets, shower rooms, and shower/bath combinations. There are several common spaces that are all newly refurbished and designed to give residents a sense of home and comfort. We have a children’s room with toys and activities for you and your children to enjoy, a games room with a TV, games console and PC for the older children, a living room with a lovely window seat and bookshelf, a wellbeing room which is designed to be a calming environment, and our bright, spacious garden. It is important that our residents have space to relax outside of their rooms, and to socialise with others in a risk-free environment.
These spaces are designed to bring residents together, allow them to build a community within the refuge, and give them the chance to make new friends. Children of all ages are welcome in the refuge, and are given the space to play and be children. We hold classes such as yoga, craft, and gardening sessions, plus trips and activities designed for children.
See how we use our common spaces on our Instagram.
“When I first came to Gilgal, I was nervous about sharing my time and space with other people. I decided to just lock myself in my room and avoid everyone. But within the first week, I realised the staff are lovely, and just want to help. I started to come out more and speak with the other women, and now, I love it here. It’s a really nice place to be.”
Here at Gilgal Birmingham, we are immensely proud of our refuge and the safehouse it provides our residents. It is a warm, comforting and welcoming environment that gives women a safe place to find peace and start building a new life for themselves. Over the past 18 months we have made vast improvements, including painting and redecorating the shared spaces and bedrooms, installing the games room, and landscaping the garden. We are always looking for ways to continue improving and like to involve the residents in these discussions.
While we are grateful for what we have, it is not enough. Several families sharing a kitchen and bathroom is not ideal. On the main refuge site, we only have one washing machine and one tumble drier between all our residents. Additionally, whilst there are benefits to shared spaces, there are drawbacks as well. Not everybody feels comfortable sharing their space with so many people due to past trauma, and it can be difficult to share limited resources with large groups. We have landlords who do their best to support us, but they are not onsite all the time like we are, which means they are not able to address issues as quickly as we could if we owned our own site.
Our aim is to buy our own property and officially own our refuge. This way, we will be able to renovate, improve, and maintain as we please without procedural and administration delays. It will also mean that we can furnish the refuge the way our residents want and need, and ensure optimal accommodation during their time with us. Most importantly, we want a bigger space so that we can help more women escaping from domestic abuse. On average, we can only accept 30% of the referrals made to Gilgal, often simply due to space restrictions. Please, help us grow and support more residents.
Help us realise our dreams
Donate to the new building project today