Charities supporting survivors of rape, cancer and domestic abuse are among those to share £15m from the latest round of funding from the government’s Tampon Tax Fund.

The fund has been created to allocate money generated from VAT on sanitary products to good causes supporting disadvantaged women and girls.

This year’s round of funding sees 12 charities receive grants of more than £1m each over the next two years.

Comic Relief has been handed £1.28m for onward grants of between £40,000 and £250,000 to BAME-led organisations to combat violence against women and girls.

“The alarming rise in domestic violence throughout the pandemic means that vital services are needed now more than ever,” said Comic Relief chief executive Ruth Davison.

“With the generous support from the Tampon Tax we will work with frontline Black, Asian and minority led (BAME) organisations that help women at risk of violence and abuse across England, especially those who find it harder to access mainstream services.”

Meanwhile, an award worth £1.26m has been made to Ovarian Cancer Action for a project to ensure equal access to healthcare for women, regardless of age, ethnicity and their postcode.

Ovarian Cancer Action chief executive Cary Wakefield said: “The funding will enable us to address the very real health inequalities that exist and ensure all women with ovarian cancer receive the best standard of care, regardless of their age, ethnicity or location. This could significantly improve survival rates in the UK and we can’t wait to get started.”

Elsewhere, Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse has received £1.2m to improve the criminal justice sector’s response to domestic violence through Specialist Domestic Abuse Courts.

Rape Crisis Scotland has received £1.01m to bolster its services for survivors of sexual violence, especially those facing barriers to support.

“This welcome funding will make a real difference to survivors in Scotland not just by increasing capacity at a local level, but in carving paths to make sure that those who are too often locked out of support have a clear route in,” said Rape Crisis Scotland director of operations Sandie Barton.

Other charities to benefit from the Tampon Tax are: Beat; YMCA England and Wales; London Youth; The Medaille Trust; SafeLives; Rosa Fund; Solace Women’s Aid and Women in Prison.

“Vulnerable women and girls need our support more than ever in this difficult year, and these grants will help keep vital services going,” said civil society minister Baroness Barran.

“From supporting victims of domestic abuse, to those suffering from mental health problems, this funding will help to directly tackle some of the most serious issues facing women and girls today.”

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