Nelson Trust reopens refurbished Swindon Women's Centre on Victoria Road

The Swindon Women's Centre on Victoria Road has been officially reopened after a refurbishment, Swindon24 reported on Thursday 1 October 2026. Its report places the opening on the Wednesday, 30 September.

The centre is run by the Nelson Trust and has operated in Swindon since 2013. More than 10,000 women have passed through its doors, according to the report.

What does the centre do?

Kristina Lyon, chief executive of the Nelson Trust, said the service started with staff making toasties in a makeshift kitchen, and that the centre aims to be "one trusted place" for women dealing with several problems at once. She said: "This beautiful new centre gives our staff and partners an environment worthy of the work that they do".

Who spoke at the opening?

A woman identified as Sarah, which is not her real name, described how a Nelson Trust worker visited her in a police cell after years in an abusive marriage. She later completed the Trust's 90-day substance misuse traineeship and now works at the centre. She said: "Sometimes, all it takes is one person to believe in you before you can start believing in yourself."

Heidi Alexander, the Swindon South MP, attended and called another woman's account of surviving domestic abuse and addiction "one of the most powerful things that I've ever heard."

The Nelson Trust says it supports around 5,000 people a year across its wider services, which include residential rehabilitation and women's centres in the South West and Wales.

More from Swindo: support groups in Swindon.

Source: Swindon24.