A WOMEN’S aid charity is ready to open its newest safehouse for service users.

Eva Women’s Aid, which supports domestic and sexual abuse victims across Redcar and Cleveland, will open its fourth safehouse on Monday June 3.

The house will offer fitness and wellbeing support to victims who suffer from mental health problems.

It joins Eva Women’s Aid’s other specialist houses such as its ‘45+ Project’ safehouse, which is the first and only safehouse in the UK specifically for older women.

There will be a team of staff based at the new house during the day including a manager, mental health support workers and a fitness and wellbeing support worker.

Richinda Taylor, CEO of Eva Women’s Aid, said: “We were receiving a lot more referrals for women with mental health issues which may or may not have been a result of abuse.

“What we wanted to do was to be able to provide a more holistic response to the need for women who have got mental health issues.

“We have furnished the house and picked colours that we think that will appeal to women that suffer from these issues.

“We want women to see that its a warm, welcoming, cosy and pleasant environment and not an awful hostel that is cold and uninviting.”

The property was bought by Eva Women’s Aid through a loan and has taken five months to refurbish the building and prepare it for residents.

The house has five bedrooms, including one disability access bedroom, kitchen and bathroom facilities, a communal area, and office space for staff.

Ms Taylor said: “We’re not looking to replace any NHS treatment, we won’t be delivering treatment here, but what we will be doing is supporting women to engage with diagnosis and maintain the treatment that they are having.

“We will take the women to appointments and support them with their treatment. We will be that link between them and those services.

“There is lots of contact they will have with eachother, with the staff and with other service users. We actively encourage that and we want them to develop these positive relationships so they can support each other.”

She added: “It’s unfortunate that these services are needed but I’m glad that we are here to be able to do it.

“We’re really pleased to be opening the doors finally and that we can offer this service to women who need us.”

“There is a fantastic team who will be running this building and they have done a brilliant job getting this ready.

“I know they will support the women who come here in the best way possible.”

More information about Eva Women’s Aid and its services can be found at evawomensaid.org.uk