Domestic abuse charity Croydon has been forced to hold meetings in the Costa after running out of space

A south London charity campaigning against domestic abuse has been forced to hold meetings in a nearby Costa after becoming “homeless”.

The Cassandra Center was based in Norbury High Street until May last year and only paid utilities for the space, but the bank building that housed the center has been sold.

The charity, which has four members of staff, has since struggled to find a hub it can afford as it receives no government funding.

The charity, co-founded by Jennifer McDermott in 2007 following the tragic murder of her 19-year-old daughter Cassandra by her ex-boyfriend, provides support and advice to those affected by abusive relationships.

Ms McDermott told the Standard: “Now that we’re technically homeless we’re looking for space, but given the very high rents, it’s something we can’t afford.”

She said service users were affected because different support groups and networks were spread across many locations.

It also means the charity has to pay for storage and the hire of a church space where it runs a lunch club.

“It’s not knowing where we are (that’s the problem),” Ms McDermott said.

“Of course you can get off the phone. But that’s not practical in many cases because they actually need to be physically in this space.

“We’re talking about traumatized people, mothers who have been through horrific abuse and children. At one point, we gave the kids a space to relax, so that’s gone.”

Staff are also frequently forced to work from a Costa when they are sent a referral due to lack of space, she said.

Ms McDermott both called for more funding for the service, saying Croydon often had the highest number of domestic violence cases in the capital, and appealed for help to find the center a center it could afford.

“Small charities like us, which they label as grassroots charities, we’re the ones on the ground,” she said.

“We are the ones from the communities. We are the ones who know where the pockets of poverty are.

“We take the risk, but we are the least funded.”

A spokesman for Croydon Council said the charity’s work was “appreciated” but the nature of the services provided made it difficult to find suitable space.

“We offer all VAWG charities free use of our interviews and confidential space in the Family Justice Service for them to meet with clients and we have also offered the Cassandra Center some space at a reduced price at a local library” , the spokesman said.

“We have provided a list of possible options that the Cassandra Center is looking at, along with details of estate agents who have a wider range of properties on offer and we will continue to support them in their search for suitable accommodation.”