Welsh university’s domestic abuse project wins award at UK parliament

A project from a Welsh university supporting older people affected by domestic abuse has won a prestigious award at the House of Lords.

The team of researchers working on the Dewis Choice project at Aberystwyth University were nominated by the Wales Assembly of Women for the National Alliance of Women’s Organisations’ 16 Days of Activism Awards.

The awards, held this year on Human Rights Day (10 Dec 2025) at the House of Lords, celebrate organisations and individuals working towards ending Violence Against Women and Girls. This year’s theme was digital abuse.

Based at Aberystwyth University’s Centre for Age, Gender and Social Justice, the Dewis Choice initiative supports older victims of domestic abuse.

It combines direct service delivery with ground-breaking research and is the first long-term study exploring decision-making in later life.

Earlier this year, Dewis Choice published a new guide to help tackle the growing threat of domestic abusers using technology, like smart doorbells and mobiles, against older people.

The Dewis Choice team received the award in recognition of their support and research as well as their work to raise the profile of older people in domestic abuse policy and practice in the UK and beyond.

Elize Freeman, Co-lead of the Dewis Choice project at Aberystwyth University said: “We were thrilled to receive the award on behalf of the Dewis Choice team. We are a multi-disciplinary team, combining innovative research with specialist practice expertise on domestic abuse in later life.

“Combining longitudinal research with co-produced intensive support for older victim-survivors we are dedicated to ensuring the voices of older people directly influence the policy and practice decisions that affect them. The service provides client-led informed choice during all stages of the help-seeking and justice-seeking journey, during crisis incidents, safety planning and recovery.

“The initiative has produced a grassroots intervention that has been designed by the community specifically to support older victim-survivors of abuse make informed choices about justice including civil, criminal and restorative and to ensure they are not treated differently on account of age, gender, sexuality or disability.

“We hope this important work can go from strength to strength, and this award is a real fillip to the whole team here in Aberystwyth.”