SURPLUS mobile phones firm will provide a vital lifeline for victims fleeing abusive relationships.

Construction company Stonewood Group, which builds new homes and renovates older and listed buildings, was left with a batch of older iPhones that were unable to connect to its internal network after an upgrade.

Office Manager Ju Cuss said she was frustrated because the phones were still in perfect working order. “It was annoying from an environmental point of view that we had these phones that we couldn’t use, but a colleague saw that Splitz had put out an appeal on LinkedIn for old phones so we were really happy to be able to donate them,” she said.

The charity is based in Trowbridge but works all over Wiltshire with adults and children who have suffered domestic abuse and sexual violence all over Wiltshire.

Director of services Emily Denne said the 16 phones are vital for victims who have fled abusive partners, often with nothing but the clothes they are wearing.

“Mobile phones are an absolutely key part of safety planning. By providing a phone, we enable our service users to both have contact with us and additionally, to call for help in an emergency,” she said.

“On occasion, perpetrators of domestic abuse have used smart phones to track their victims, as part of controlling and abusive behaviour. A new phone therefore ensures a victim can have safe contact with us and helps to give them back their independence. I’d like to thank the Stonewood Group.

Between April 2021 and March this year the charity received 3,795 new referrals from people needing support, with the average number of referrals currently at 89 per week.

Find out more about Splitz Support Service, the help it offers and how to donate, at splitz.org. It can be contacted from 9am to 5pm on weekdays on 01225 775276. The Wiltshire dedicated domestic abuse helpline is on 01225 712 880.