Roshni (Birmingham)
Charity 1167262
http://roshnibirmingham.org.uk
Overview
Summary
Roshni Birmingham appears to occupy a specialist position within Birmingham’s domestic-abuse support landscape: combining refuge accommodation, advocacy and culturally responsive support for Black and Minoritised communities. Its role seems defined not only by crisis provision, but by helping survivors overcome language, cultural and institutional barriers that can prevent access to mainstream services. The available evidence suggests an organisation that connects individual safety with longer-term confidence, independence, awareness-raising and policy voice.
Operational geography
Coverage: Regional
Operational areas:
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Remaining uncertainties
- Roshni directly states that its floating-support service addresses tenancy-related issues 'in Birmingham', supporting a citywide Birmingham service reach, but it does not identify delivery locations within particular wards or the City Centre.
- Roshni also states that its West Midlands Forced Marriage and Honour Based Abuse Helpline supports victims and survivors 'in the West Midlands'. This supports a regional element to its operational footprint, although the evidence does not establish whether all associated support is delivered in person across the region.
- Roshni operates emergency refuge accommodation, but its location is appropriately not published. No ward or place has been inferred for this safeguarded service.
- The PO Box address and registered office are correspondence or registered addresses; neither is sufficient evidence of a Birmingham operational site.
- The available evidence describes partnership working in general terms but does not identify a current named partnership that can be shown to extend Roshni's service delivery into a specific Birmingham ward or place.
Additional evidence needed
- A current annual or impact report showing the Birmingham wards, neighbourhoods or local-authority areas in which outreach and floating-support cases are delivered.
- A current Birmingham City Council commissioning or referral document defining the geographical scope of Roshni's locally commissioned services.
- Non-sensitive confirmation from Roshni of any public-facing office, outreach base or regular delivery venue that can safely be mapped to a supplied ward or recognised place.
- Details of named current delivery partnerships, including whether they involve co-delivery or referral-only arrangements and their geographical reach.
Areas of work
- Accommodation/housing
Who they help
- Children/young People
- People Of A Particular Ethnic Or Racial Origin
How they help
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Provides Services
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A specialist gateway where mainstream access may fail
Roshni appears to function as a culturally and linguistically responsive route into safety and support for survivors who may be excluded from, or unable to use, mainstream domestic-abuse provision.
Why it matters
This frames Roshni as more than a refuge provider. Its distinctive value may lie in reducing barriers to first contact and making wider services reachable for people otherwise left without support.
Show evidence
“We support Black & Minoritised communities affected by domestic abuse including Forced Marriage & Honour Based Abuse.”
Source:Organisation“The charity's objects include supporting women vulnerable due to language and isolation.”
Source:Charity Commission“Many women using the service would not be able to access statutory / mainstream provision because of cultural and language barriers.”
Source:Organisation
Safety provision is linked to survivor autonomy
The organisation appears to treat emergency accommodation as one element of a wider pathway toward survivors defining and meeting their own needs, rather than as a standalone crisis intervention.
Why it matters
This suggests that Roshni’s operating model may bridge immediate protection with longer-term independence, making advice, education, counselling and advocacy central rather than supplementary.
Show evidence
“The charity's objects include emergency accommodation, counselling and family advice, education and welfare services, healthcare, and projects for women.”
Source:Charity Commission“The charity's objects aim to enable women to utilise options and achieve the ability to define and meet their needs themselves.”
Source:Charity Commission“Roshni supports survivors through their journey to safety, confidence and independence.”
Source:Organisation
Its influence may extend beyond direct service delivery
Roshni appears to use partnership, awareness activity and advocacy to influence how domestic abuse affecting Black and Minoritised communities is understood and addressed beyond its own caseload.
Why it matters
This may make the organisation a connector between survivors, community awareness, other services and policy discussions, potentially increasing its civic role beyond the capacity of its small team.
Show evidence
“The main activities for the year continue to focus upon the promotion and education of services against domestic violence.”
Source:Organisation“Roshni works in partnership with other organisations, creates events and workshops to raise awareness and tackle DV.”
Source:Organisation“Roshni provides direct support services to male and female survivors of domestic abuse and advocates on their behalf to ensure their voices are reflected in future policy and legislation.”
Source:Organisation
- The current scale, capacity and occupancy of refuge and support services are unknown.
- It is unclear which languages, communities and geographic areas receive the greatest support.
- The nature and effectiveness of Roshni's partnerships are not evidenced.
Remaining uncertainties
- Recent annual reports or impact data showing referrals, service outcomes, waiting times and unmet demand.
- Information on partner organisations, referral routes and survivor feedback.
- Evidence of advocacy, awareness or policy changes influenced by the organisation.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
The main activities for the year is to continue to focus upon the promotion and education of services against domestic violence. Roshni provides Safe, Temporary Emegency Accommodation to South Asian women and their children. Roshni is the only specialist refuge in Birmingham.
Charity objects
IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 31(2) CA 2006, THE OBJECTS ARE THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION AND THE RELIEF OF THOSE IN NEED IN THE COMMUNITY, AND IN PARTICULAR WOMEN WHO ARE VULNERABLE DUE TO LANGUAGE AND ISOLATION, TO ENABLE THEM TO UTILISE A MAXIMUM RANGE OF OPTIONS AND ACHIEVE THE ABILITY TO DEFINE AND MEET THEIR NEEDS THEMSELVES BOTH WITH THE AIM OF IMPROVING THEIR SOCIAL WELFARE AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN SOCIETY. IN PURSUANT OF THESE OBJECTS, THE CHARITY WILL UNDERTAKE ANY TASKS WHICH ARE RELEVANT AND THESE MAY INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: (A) THE PROVISION OF EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION FOR WOMEN AND THEIR CHILDREN WITH A MAIN FOCUS ON WOMEN FROM SOUTH ASIA/THE SOUTH ASIAN REGION (INCLUDING INDIA, PAKISTAN, BANGLADESH, SRI LANKA, AFGHANISTAN, BURMA, BHUTAN, IRAN, MALDIVES, MYANMAR, MAURITIUS, NEPAL AND TIBET) AND GIRLS (AGED 16 YEARS AND OVER), (B) PROVISION OF A COUNSELLING AND FAMILY ADVICE SERVICE, (C) EDUCATION AND WELFARE SERVICES, (D) HEALTHCARE, AND (E) PARTICIPATION IN PROJECTS FOR WOMEN.