Charitable objects
1. Object
The object for which the organisation is established is to relieve the distress and suffering experienced by women and their children who have experienced domestic abuse, as defined in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. Domestic abuse involves any single incident or pattern of conduct where someone’s behaviour towards another is abusive, and where the people involved are aged 16 or over and = are, or have been, personally connected to each other (regardless of gender or sexuality). The abuse can involve, but is not limited to:
• psychological
• physical
• sexual
• financial
• emotional
• violent
• threatening
• controlling
• coercive behaviour.
’Personal connection’ means the individuals concerned:
• are due to be, are currently, or have been, married or civil partners to each other
• are, or have been, in an intimate personal relationship with each other
• are, or have been, parents (or had a parental relationship) to the same child
• are relatives (the Act gives further definitions of ‘relatives’)
The organisation will provide:
a) refuge accommodation and outreach support where women and their children who have experienced domestic abuse can enjoy temporary rest and protection from abuse, with a view to their starting independent living, and obtaining a permanent legal separation or divorce if they are married or have a civil partnership.
b) providing support and assistance in obtaining legal advice, medical care, emotional support and relevant information as part of a supportive process for women and their children who have suffered serious injury or impairment, physical, emotional, economic or sexual abuse.
2. Powers:
The CIO has power to do anything which is calculated to further its objects or is conducive or incidental to doing so. In particular, the CIO has power to:
(1) borrow money and to change the whole or any part of its property as security for the repayment of the money borrowed. The CIO must comply as appropriate with sections 124 and 125 of the Charities Act 2022 if it wishes to mortgage land;
(2) buy, take on, lease or in exchange, hire or otherwise acquire any property and to maintain and equip it for use;
(3) sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the property belonging to the CIO. In exercising this power, the CIO must comply as appropriate with sections 117 and 119-123 of the Charities Act 2022
(4) employ and remunerate such staff as are necessary for carrying out the work of the CIO. The CIO may employ or remunerate a charity trustee only to the extent that it is permitted to do so by clause 6 (Benefits and payments to charity trustees and connected persons) and provided it complies with the conditions of that clause;
(5) deposit or invest funds; employ a professional fund-manager, and arrange for the investments or other property of the CIO to be held in the name of a nominee, in the same manner and subject to the same conditions as the trustees of a trust are permitted to do by the Trustee Act 2000.
