MSP for Stirling Evelyn Tweed has paid tribute to a Stirling charity providing support to women in crisis, including refugees from Ukraine.
HSTAR Scotland, based in Stirling, was formed in August 2020 in response to the growing needs of the diverse women impacted by the extreme challenges brought by the Covid-19 Pandemic.
However, it soon evolved into a wider reaching project as the charity realised that the needs of women in crisis covered every area of life.
HSTAR launched an advocacy clinic launched earlier this year which covers family law, finance, budgeting, social work, mental health support, support for young people aged 12-17 years old, housing and benefits welfare.
Ewelina Chin, CEO and founder of HSTAR said; “We recognised the very significant impact Covid-19 and associated challenges was having on families and in particular women who experience isolation, exclusion, abuse and trauma with no responsive support or care provisions.
“As a trauma survivor myself, I know the importance of receiving prompt, non-judgmental, free and accessible help to rebuild life after trauma and abuse. By giving these women face to face support in their own language, by people who understand their culture, we are able to empower them to navigate the challenges they face and rebuild their lives again.
“We promote mental health care awareness, host multicultural events, deliver focused training, offering befriending activities, and other mental health wellbeing support programmes so that women can begin to live to their full potential again.
“Since March this year we have also been supporting many Ukrainians women, as they fled the war infolding in their home country. Ukrainian families coming here are human beings who have a pride, dignity and rights to have their mental, emotional and physical health looked after. They came to Scotland with the hope for a safe future and ability to heal from the past. The majority of Ukrainian women who arrive here want to be an asset to their communities, and with therapy and counselling they will be able to search for jobs, study or volunteer.
Evelyn Tweed MSP for Stirling said; “HSTAR’s original mission was to provide easy and free access to counselling therapies to women in Scotland to overcome trauma and abuse. Since then, they grown their offering to provide many women with advice and support in all the areas of life that can become challenging, including finances, work, family life and housing. The work this charity is doing is truly outstanding, supporting and empowering women who may otherwise be very lost and isolated.
“Since the very beginning of the Ukraine war, HSTAR have secured free therapy access for the Ukrainian women and their families in their mother language and is the main organisation in Central Scotland that is seeking to provide care and support for these women.
“I wish HSTAR every success and look forward to supporting their journey as a crucial charity within our community.”
Anyone interested in more information about HSTAR can visit www.hstar-scotland.org or call 01786 845 717 / 01786 439 988.
