The response I have received to this petition has been inspiring and overwhelming. So far over 40, 000 of you have supported it: thank you. As someone who has worked in domestic violence services in Portsmouth, I know how hard it is for women to reach out and seek help. The thought that those services might not be available in the first place is devastating to me. When two women a week are killed by a partner or ex-partner and 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence in the UK it is outrageous that local councils are considering cutting funding to life saving services. Portsmouth has a high rate of domestic violence: we should be increasing funding to match the need, not cutting funding and putting women's lives at risk. Portsmouth council will meet TOMORROW (8th December) to decide on whether to accept or reject the proposals to cut these vital services. So we still have time to influence their decision! There will be a protest taking place outside the council meeting at 1pm, Portsmouth Guildhall, on the 8th Dec. Please come to this protest. We must tell Portsmouth council that whether women are safe is not something to be voted on. It should be a given that these vital services get all the funding they need to save lives. I would also like to say thank you to the groups UP Antifascists and Sisters Uncut (a group fighting cuts to domestic violence services across the country) who have reached out and supported this cause. Keep sharing the petition and see you at the protest tomorrow! When Portsmouth council cut, women and children bleed.