Almost 25,000 women and children needed help from Women's Refuge last year.

The agency released the figures in a report after its annual meeting in Blenheim yesterday.

The report showed in the year to June 30, a total 14,096 women and 10,815 children needed help from the organisation, ranging from safe housing to support and advocacy.

There were 85,794 calls to the agency's crisis line, an average of one call every six minutes, and the organisation responded to 30,648 referrals from police.

While the figures are similar to the previous year, chief executive Heather Henare says the organisation is concerned the rights of women and children will be eroded by a series of changes to services such as housing, welfare agencies, Family Court and legal aid.

On average 224 women and children needed to stay in the 45 refuge safe houses every night. Two-thirds of the children were aged under nine.

Most women helped by the organisation were aged between 26 and 35 while 27 per cent were younger than that.

Almost half of the women were Maori (47 per cent), while 43 per cent were Pakeha.

The services cost more than $1.7 million.

- The Marlborough Express

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