New Zealand already has a high number of family violence cases each year, however since the lockdown has been in place, domestic violence has been through the roof. The increase stems from vulnerable women isolated at home with their abusers and unable to call for help. As a result, Women’s Refuge and EightyOne are introducing Safe Nights which allows Kiwis to book a night’s accomodation for someone needing an escape.

Pre lockdown statistics show that more than 160 women and children are too afraid to stay at home due to family violence and are in need of refuge. Unfortunately Women’s refuge cannot solve New Zealand’s family violence problem, however they can do what their name suggests, offer refuge.

Providing accomodation for those in need does come at an expensive cost, which is where EightyOne came in to propose a doable solution. Partner and business director at EightyOne, Matt West and executive creative director, Chris Bleackley, have had ties with Women’s Refuge for several years and are always looking at unique ways to reach supporters.

West says after looking through Women’s Refuge data, it was discovered that the database had become stagnant as a result of not attracting new donors.

“We used Ethel by DOT loves data to understand how sentiment had evolved over the last five years. This pointed to a general apathy across the population and confirmed there was a declining pool of givers. They were turning off giving in droves. The harrowing images and lack of connection was having a profound effect on the donation pool.

“So we asked ourselves, ‘What if, instead of acting like a charity, Women’s Refuge began to behave more like an accommodation provider?’”

Then came the birth of the “Safe Nights” campaign. For just $20 you can book a Safe Night anywhere in New Zealand for those suffering from domestic abuse. Once booked, you are able to find out when someone has used your booking and can re-book for someone else.

The Safe Nights campaign is fronted by Kiwi actor Miranda Harcourt and has been spread on social media by influencers resulting in a significant amount of cash raised.

Although many donations have already been made, Women’s Refuge are constantly in need of more donations and resourcing to help some of the most vulnerable Kiwis in a time of need.

To book a Safe Night visit here