Governance
Our History
The services provided by Blackburn & Darwen District Without Abuse (BDDWA) have grown from strong grassroots beginnings.
In 1988, a group of women from the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen came together with a shared commitment to empowering local women and keeping victims and survivors of domestic abuse and their children safe. Their work quickly highlighted a significant gap in local provision for domestic abuse support services.
In 1989 Blackburn and Darwen District Women’s Aid was formed, now known as the WISH Centre. Our first staff member was employed in 1990 and following the development of a new constitution we held our first Annual General Meeting which brought supporters together. We opened our office base, sharing space with the Well Women’s Centre, Blackburn.
Our first refuge for women and children was opened in 1991.
1992 saw many new developments and growth so we moved to bigger offices and began planning larger refuge accommodation with North British Housing Association (now Places for People). Our new house opened in 1993, and we were able to offer more safe spaces for families. The demand for outreach support increased and we began holding more drop-in sessions at our offices.
In 1994 we progressed our children and young people’s work which has become an important and integral part of our service. We also set up the first interagency forum in Blackburn with Darwen to improve support to victims and survivors.
A successful Lottery bid in 1996 enabled us to fund a community- based advice worker and a new centre to house our growing services. Children in Need also funded a dedicated children and young people’s co-ordinator so we could offer more intensive support.
The Women’s Information and Self Help (WISH) Centre opened in March 1998, becoming a vital source of advice, support, and advocacy for women across the borough. The Centre quickly established itself as a trusted and accessible service within the local community.
In 2002 after a great deal of planning with Places for People Housing Association our purpose-built refuge opened. This was the first in the country with five houses in a quadrangle with a support block. Each family having their own front door. As demand increased for safe accommodation, we opened another refuge in 2009. We can now house 14 families in accommodation that meets their needs.
Our IDVA (Independent domestic violence advocate) and ISVA (Independent sexual violence advocate) services was set up in 2007 which allowed us to offer a comprehensive approach to high-risk victims of abuse. This service is vital for safety planning, court support, legal help and advocacy.
We began working with perpetrators of domestic abuse in 2010 viewing this, as a way, of keeping victims safer. The work is based on behaviour change principles and has proved very successful. This work also fits well with our whole family approach to working with victims, survivors and perpetrators.
As demand for support grew, we expanded significantly. By 2011, the WISH Centre relocated from Cardwell Place to King Street to accommodate a growing team and increasing numbers of people accessing services. The organisation continued to develop its provision and is now able to support many more families through dedicated services and purpose-built refuge accommodation.
In April 2013, the organisation’s name changed from Blackburn and Darwen District Women’s Aid to Blackburn & Darwen District Without Abuse (BDDWA). This change reflected the development of services to support men who perpetrated abuse as well as those affected by domestic abuse.
Today, The Wish Centre continues to grow and evolve to meet the increasing needs of our community. We are now proudly based at Eanam Wharf Business Centre in Blackburn, a modern and accessible space that enables us to better support our expanding team of specialist staff and subject matter experts. Our new premises reflect our continued development and commitment to delivering high-quality, trauma informed, accessible services for individuals and families affected by domestic abuse across Blackburn with Darwen and Lancashire.
Governance
Our working name is the WISH Centre, our legal name is Blackburn & Darwen District Without Abuse, Ltd.
We are a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. We are governed by our Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 1st June 2006. Our trustees are also directors of the company.
The WISH Centre is structured to ensure effective day-to-day management while supporting long-term strategic development and growth. The combined strength of the Board of Trustees and the leadership and wider staff team ensures that services are delivered safely, effectively, and in line with best practice.
The Board of Trustees is made up of members who bring a wide range of professional expertise and experience. Currently there are 9 trustees/directors. Alongside the board there are three sub-committees: Finance & Audit; People & Culture and Operational, Resources and Impact. Where needed, working groups and task and finish groups are arranged to work on specific projects, for example Health and Safety and Safeguarding.
Trustees meet in board and committees every quarter to review performance, guide strategic direction, and make key decisions. Where required, urgent decisions are made promptly and formally ratified at the next scheduled meeting.
The trustees abide by governance principles: accountability and transparency; inclusivity and diversity; ethical decision making and safeguarding; integrity and personal good conduct. We have a governance code of conduct that all trustees sign up to, and follow the Charity Governance Code 2026, reviewing our work against the code. We also undertake regular board audits, so we are confident we have trustees with the correct skills and experience.
We have a suite of policies and procedures that apply to our governance, for example, safeguarding; equity, diversity and inclusion; data protection and privacy and financial management and risk. These policies guide our operations and are regularly reviewed.
Trustees’ oversight, knowledge, and commitment are essential to the continued development, governance, and sustainability of our organisation.
