MK Act, the Domestic Abuse Services for Milton Keynes, are proud to announce that Andrea Vincent, Vice Chair of trustees, has received an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List.
Mk Act (Milton Keynes Women’s Aid) was founded in 1974. Andrea has been involved with the organisation for over 30 years, helping it grow and evolve into the lead agency for Domestic Abuse Services within Milton Keynes and recognised within the sector as an exemplary service. She was the chair of Trustees for over 10 years.
MK Act supports over 800 victims of Domestic Abuse each year. The lifesaving service comprises of a Crisis Intervention service offering advice, risk management and safety planning for clients in addition to advice for other agencies, a refuge offering safe accommodation for 28 women and their children, an outreach and resettlement service assisting those in the community, Fresh Start – a specialist perpetrator programme for perpetrators wishing to change their abusive behaviour, and a programmes and training project offering Domestic Abuse awareness course for victims and training for professionals.
Andrea Vincent’s work to protect women and children from domestic violence has been prodigious and inspiring over decades. She first volunteered in the 1990’s only a few years after those fleeing violence were taken into private homes.
Andrea became a Trustee of the charity in 1995 where she was instrumental in setting up a second purpose built women’s safe refuge accommodation She became Chair of the Board in 2011. Since then, there have been radical changes in the levels of awareness of domestic violence and in government and local policy and funding arrangements.
Andrea has grasped the implications of such changes and encouraged MK-ACT to take every opportunity to secure the necessary resources to extend and improve the services offered. MK-ACT provides an exemplary service to clients, contributing to local, regional and national strategies and developments.
Andrea focus is always on the needs of service users and how best to meet them.
She is committed to a person-centred approach addressing individuals’ needs.
Andrea ensures the charity has achieved relevant national quality standards and with her help MK Act now holds Women’s Aid Federation for England highest level Quality Standards, Leading Lights accreditation for the information, advice and support service and RESPECT quality standards for an innovative programme of work with perpetrators of domestic violence, which aims to change their behaviour, alongside support for their partners.
Andrea was supprised and delighted to receive the honour “I was humbled and honoured to receive the award. This award is not just for me but for the whole Milton Keynes Women’s Aid Team. It is a privilege to be involved with a charity which changes and saves lives and to see the success of the many clients that we support who go on to live lives free from abuse.”
Sue Burke, Chief Executive of MK ACT said “We are so pleased to be celebrating the fantastic work Andrea has done over the years. I am so proud to be working alongside a trustee who is so passionate in helping families move on from fear and abuse.”
For more information, or if you need support visit www.mkact.com