Successful gala evening supports Trevi in their fight to end violence against women and girls.

Trevi, the leading women’s charity in Devon, was delighted to receive a share of £10,000 raised at the Violence Against Women and Girls Gala evening held last month. The funds will help them in their fight to end male violence against women and girls.

Hosted on the 27 May at the iconic Plymouth Argle, the black-tie event saw people from all over the city come together to fundraise, celebrate the women of Plymouth, and help change what needs to happen to tackle violence against women and girls in the city.

The evening was organised by Mel Sevieri and Cllr Charlotte Holloway and was a huge success raising £10,000 to be shared between local charities Trevi and First Light. Trevi will use the funds to provide vital support to women and girls impacted by abuse and violence through their Sunflower Women’s Centre.

Mel said, ‘After the incredibly difficult events that unfolded in Plymouth last November, I knew I wanted to be a part of the change made for our city. As a single woman who has dealt with domestic abuse, stalking and harassment, I am very passionate about helping women who are trying to leave this situation themselves.

Meeting the amazing women behind Trevi and creating relationships to help with future projects has been extremely valuable to me, and I feel very lucky to have been a part of it. Being able to see where some of the £10,000 raised at the Plymouth VAWG Gala will go to is something I will never forget.’

Mel and Charlotte popped into Trevi’s Sunflower Women’s Centre this week to meet some of the women supported by the charity and to pass on the news about the total raised.

Charlotte Holloway, councillor for Drake ward (the area that covers Trevi House and the Sunflower Centre) who supported Mel Sevieri in organising the gala added ‘The Trevi family and First Light are rays of light in the darkness for many women, and I am delighted that something positive can hopefully come as a result of people’s generosity on that evening.’

Hayley Dann, Trevi Fundraising & Marketing Lead, said, ‘We were absolutely thrilled to be part of this event. As promised, the evening was full of glamour and glitz, and there was an amazing energy in the room around tackling the need to end violence against women and girls. It felt like there was a real belief that this community could pioneer the way in educating, raising awareness and ultimately ending male violence against women.’

The evening’s auction and raffle contributed over £2000 to the charity pot included some fantastic prizes. Local businesses also pledged their support with individual donations, including a hugely generous donation from City Bus.

The gala’s evening entertainment was provided by local band Continuum who donated their fee from the gala and their gig the following night to the grand total. The event was supported by Plymouth Live, Devon & Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, Plymouth City Patriots and Plymouth Argyle.

For more information, please contact communications@trevi.org.uk