Caprice EXCLUSIVE: Star donates £250K of her own money to domestic abuse charity Woman’s Trust

Caprice has donated £250K of her own money to support domestic abuse charity Woman’s Trust during COVID-19.

The model, 48, has been working with the Westminster division for eight years after a close friend was in an abusive relationship and still receives therapy to this day. 

Caprice hopes to raise awareness of the charity during the pandemic after the charity received 2,000 calls in the first three weeks of April. 

An insider close to Caprice told MailOnline: ‘Everyone that knows Caprice is aware she has no tolerance for any kind of abuse or bullying and eight years ago she committed herself to Woman’s Trust to help fund the Westminster division. 

‘So far she has single-handedly helped keep the Westminster branch open having donated nearly a quarter of a million pounds from her own private funds.’

While a source added: ‘This is very close to Caprice’s heart as one of her closest friends was in a very abusive relationship both physically and mentally. 

After three years of actively trying to get out, she finally had the strength to do it, but to this day still goes to therapy and has never fully recovered. Abuse hits everyone rich, poor, young, old, famous and Caprice wanted to help women and families in her community. 

‘That is when she took a meeting with Woman’s Trust to help women within a few miles of her home to get out of abusive relationships and have the strength to rebuild their Lives. 

‘With domestic abuse cases increasing rapidly because of the COVID-19 lockdown period, almost 2,000 domestic abuse calls were made in the first three weeks of April and Caprice wants to raise as much awareness as possible in these uncertain times.’   

When contacted by MailOnline Woman’s Trust CEO, Heidi Riedel, said: ‘We are hugely grateful to Caprice for her generous financial contributions and support over the past eight years. 

‘Caprice’s donations have been crucial – helping us to keep our Westminster counselling services running. 

‘Through this we’ve provided thousands of vital, sometimes life-saving, free therapy sessions to women suffering from anxiety, depression, PTSD and trauma caused by domestic abuse.’ 

Woman’s Trust was formed in 1996 by a group of female counsellors and domestic abuse survivors.

It offers mental health support and counselling to help women who have encountered domestic abuse.   

Calls to domestic abuse help lines have soared as victims are trapped with abusive partners during the coronavirus lockdown, it has been reported. 

Victims’ commissioner, Dame Vera Baird, has called on the government to find extra funding for the sector to support victims and announce a strategy as it’s ‘another epidemic alongside COVID-19’.