CHILDREN from West Berkshire (Thatcham, Newbury and Hungerford), Reading, Wokingham Borough and throughout all of Oxfordshire who have experienced trauma as victims of domestic abuse will attend a Bounce Back 4 Kids group thanks to a grant from Berkshire Freemasons to Parents And Children Together (PACT).
The £60,000 grant will support PACT’s Bounce Back 4 Kids (BB4K) trauma-informed group recovery programme supporting children aged 3–11 and their victim survivor parent to recover from domestic abuse through group sessions that build resilience, strengthen bonds, and break the cycle of harm.
BB4K improves children’s mental health, confidence and emotional regulation, reduces behavioural challenges, and strengthens parent–child relationships to support long-term recovery from trauma.
Kathryn Warner, PACT’s Director of Community Services and Development said: “We’re grateful to Berkshire Freemasons for this generous funding which will enable more families to access this vital support.
“Domestic abuse can have a profound and lasting impact on children, shaping how they feel, behave and build lasting relationships in the future.
“Through our Bounce Back 4 Kids programme we give children and their parents a safe and supportive place to begin recovery together.
“We help children to understand that their experiences are not their fault, rebuild their confidence and develop healthy ways to manage their feelings.
The funding from Berkshire Freemasons will directly support 38 children and 17 victim survivor parents by funding a BB4K support worker and play therapist to deliver BB4K groups comprising eight weekly themed modules such as Breaking the Silence, Helping Hands and Understanding Anger.
They use trauma-informed activities and therapeutic techniques to help children express feelings, learn they are not to blame and develop coping strategies.
Parents and children attend parallel sessions, enabling parents to understand their child’s perspective and reinforce recovery at home.
This funding contributes to a wider BB4K programme supporting 500 families over three years.
Peter Hopkins, Charity Steward, at Berkshire Freemasons, said, “I’m really pleased we’ve been able to help PACT with their hugely important programme for children affected by domestic abuse and their parents.
“Abuse can have a lasting impact on a child’s education and to their own relationships, which can lead to abused children becoming abusers themselves. “PACT is doing wonderful work for current and future generations.”
28,0001 children are affected by domestic abuse across the Thames Valley each year. Domestic abuse is one of the most harmful Adverse Childhood Experiences, affecting an estimated one in five children in England.
The Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s 2025 report, Victims in Their Own Right, exposed a stark national failure to provide recovery services for children.
Over a quarter of services report turning children away and more hold long waiting lists.
In the Thames Valley, only 22 per cent of survivors with children can access specialist child-focused support, despite high prevalence and increasing referrals.
Research shows that without timely recovery support, children face long-term risks including anxiety, depression, educational disengagement, behavioural difficulties, relational trauma, and a significantly higher risk of entering abusive relationships later in life.
Parents, often women, face isolation, reduced ability to work, economic hardship, and difficulties rebuilding family stability.
The grant from Berkshire Freemasons comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales.
For information, visit: pactcharity.org and berkspgl.org.uk
