** Trigger Warning**
Ngozi Fulani's interrogation by Lady Hussey spread like wildfire across the country. The issue was contained to an 'individual' in Hussey; now, there is a more significant reputational issue for the Palace.
Sistah Space, a registered charity in the UK for domestic abuse victims, has now had to shut operations because of fear. Not because of a formal investigation into Sistah's Space business practices, despite the 'research' of Twitter, but because of fear.
So what does this have to do with Buckingham Palace, social and economic sustainability (my niche)?
Buckingham Palace is the administrative headquarters of the Royal Family and represents core values that are not limited to royalty. Like any other entity, when the espoused core values (implicit or explicit, like service, order etc.) are impacted, there should be action to deal with the fallout. Public backlash from an incident from an employee directly at the Palace forced a charity to shut down. What is the social and economic sustainability angle here:
Social: Sistah Space provides various services, including advocacy, training and support for African-heritage women and girls. Operations are shut-down. What's worse, football didn't come home. Research by the University of Lancaster shows violent domestic abuse incidents increase by 38% when England loses football matches.
Economic: The women impacted cannot seek the refuge they need from an organisation they trust. What does this look like? Often women have to leave with the clothes on their backs to get help, meaning they have no financial recourse. Also, Sistah Space is losing income to provide the services they were honoured for at the Palace.
If I were advising the Palace, my guidance would be to focus on the women recommending:
- Issue a public statement condemning the abuse Ngozi Fulani has received to date and the closure of Sistah Space due to fear.
- Under an NDA, back channel Sistah Space to identify what financial support is required to ensure services can be restored in the interim so the women can get the help that they need and provide it.
- Given Queen Consort Camilla's work around violence against women, review the eligibility of Sistah Space and how they can be considered for the patronage of critical donors who are a dependency of the charity model.
If you are reading this and need help, please contact Women's Aid Federation of England