My Sisters’ House CIC Women’s Centre works across West Sussex to provide a wide range of support to women 'from all backgrounds facing all kinds of issues' where their strengths are recognised, their difficulties acknowledged and 'where they can achieve positive change they are proud of'. In August, Dame Julie Walters DBE officially opened My Sister's House's new centre building. Read more here According to the CEO and founder of the charity, Julie Budge, Dame Julie said, following her visit: “I think you and your team are utterly amazing. I am very proud to have my name on that plaque and meeting those courageous survivors/warriors with the wonderful Michelle was completely inspiring and unforgettable. I would be honoured to be your patron”. Dianne Smith, chair of the centre, said having the support of a long-standing patron of Women’s Aid, was a 'welcome recognition of our standing in the landscape of women’s services'. “At a time when we have supported 1000 women and launch our brand-new website, we are delighted that Dame Julie Walters DBE is our first patron," she added. Having begun its journey in 2014 'round a kitchen table', My Sister's House opened its first drop-in centre in May 2015. Julie Budge added: "To date we have provided support to 1,000 women, 75 per cent of these women self-refer to our services [and] 65 per cent of these women suffer from domestic abuse or have history of such."