The money collected from the fundraiser made by Reclaim these Streets in memory of Sarah Everard will now be taken over by the charity Rosa which funds grassroots women and girls’ organisations.
Sarah Everard, who was 33 and originally from York living in Brixton Hill, London, at the time of her murder, disappeared on Wednesday 3 March as she walked home from her friend’s house on Leithwaite Road in Clapham, South London.
Metropolitan Police officer, Wayne Couzens, appeared in Westminster magistrates’ court in central London earlier this month charged with her murder.
Following the death of Sarah Everard, Reclaim the Streets organised a fundraiser to raise money for women’s charities. It has since been announced that the more than £528,000 will be managed by the charity Rosa, a grant-making charity that supports women and girls’ charities across the UK.
A joint statement from Reclaim These Streets and Rosa said, “Reclaim These Streets has agreed that Rosa will manage the distribution of the funds that have been raised through the Reclaim These Streets JustGiving Crowdfunder, which currently stands at £525,909.”
“The Crowdfunder was set up to raise money for women’s charitable causes following the public outcry over women’s safety sparked by the death of Sarah Everard.”
“Rosa is the only UK charitable funder dedicated to supporting women’s and girls’ organisations in the UK, including those addressing the causes and consequences of male violence and access to justice.”
The funds raised so far by Reclaim These Streets, which is not yet a registered charity, are not eligible for Gift Aid, meaning the group missed out on a £132,000 top-up of taxpayer funding.
“We know these donations were made in response to the awful recent events and the countless other incidents where women and girls have been scarred by violence and harassment.”
In the statement, the charity said, “We will use this money to reach organisations working to change and save women’s and girls’ lives. In the coming days, the JustGiving Crowdfunder page will be redirected so that any further donations will be made directly to Rosa, which, as a registered charity, will make those donations eligible for Gift Aid.”
It also said, “If you have donated to the crowdfunder, you will be notified of key developments along the way. We will also share updates via Rosa’s website and Reclaim These Streets’ social media accounts.”
You can read the full statement here.
Shawna Healey
Featured image courtesy of Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona via Unsplash. Image license can be found here. No changes were made to this image.
Shawna Healey
Originally from South Wales, Shawna Healey is a geography graduate of Manchester Metropolitan University, currently studying MSc journalism at Leeds Beckett University. With over two years journalism experience under her belt, Shawna has written for aAh! Magazine, the Wakefield Express and the Yorkshire Evening Post. During her free time, Shawna loves reading, listening to podcasts, and attending to her pet fish.