GOOD STUFF CAN HAPPEN — WHEN WE LET IT
Good stuff is happening — even on the toughest issues. We just don’t always pause to notice it.
Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is one of those challenges that can feel overwhelming. Complex. Entrenched. Too hard to shift. Too often, the response focuses on managing harm rather than preventing it.
But in Hertfordshire (and Bedfordshire), a different approach is proving that progress is possible.
The challenge
Traditional responses tend to separate victim support from perpetrator intervention. That misses a critical truth: you can’t sustainably protect victims without addressing the behaviours that cause harm in the first place. One-size-fits-all interventions don’t work — and neither does fragmented delivery across agencies.
The results
The Chrysalis Centre brought partners together — PCCs, local authorities, police, health, probation and specialist providers — around a single triage and intervention model. People are matched to the right support, based on risk, need and behaviour, not assumptions.
Independent evaluation shows just how powerful that is:
- 81% reduction in domestic abuse–related crime
- 58% reduction in overall crime across the cohort
- £22.6m annual benefit to society after three years
- For every £1 invested, £0.62–£1.26 returned, even under the most conservative assumptions
This is evidence-led prevention, delivering real-world impact — not just for victims, but for families, communities and public services.
The opportunity
Demand is growing. Interest is growing. And the principles behind Chrysalis extend far beyond one geography or one form of harm.
The evaluation is clear: this isn’t a policy gap. It’s a scaling challenge. Countries that have reduced VAWG have aligned national priorities and empowered local delivery. Chrysalis shows what happens when local teams are trusted, funded and supported to work together — with data, precision and shared accountability.
At Curzon, our role has been to help partners understand what really works — and why. The lesson is hopeful: with the right leadership, long-term funding and collaboration, prevention can be both humane and economically compelling.
Good stuff can happen.
The question is whether we choose to back it — and scale it.What do you think matters more: national direction or empowered local teams?
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