a fun & festive way support woman's trust!
Looking for a fun and festive way to support
Woman's Trust?
Why not take part in one of London's iconic
Santa Runs?
For those of you that work in the City, this years Santa in the City event at
7pm on Thursday 5th December could be right up your street!
The event kicks off on the north side of the Millennium Bridge, with a route that crosses the Thames,
passes Shakespeare's Globe, Borough Market, and St Paul's Cathedral.
Registration for Santa in the City costs £24.
This price includes your very own Santa Suit, individual running number and medal.
To book, Register here.
Alternatively, the ever festive annual Skyline Santa Run takes place
on Sunday 8th December in Victoria Park.
This is a family friendly event, with a children's run and a costume competition taking place before the main event.
It costs £25 to book a place, which includes a Santa Costume, and entry
to the 5k or 10k run, depending on your preference.
To book, register here.
Both of these events are suitable for new or seasoned runners
as each route is relatively flat.
Both events are a lot of fun, and you can choose to walk, jog or run.
Woman's Trust calls for national debate on the impact of domestic abuse on women's mental health
In a letter to MPs ahead of a debate on women’s mental health in the House of Commons, our Chair, Sally Field, said:
“The time for a national conversation on the impact of domestic abuse on mental health is long overdue.”
At Woman’s Trust, we’re well placed to comment on the issue, having provided the equivalent of over £6m in free mental health care since 1996.
Every year we help hundreds of women by providing free one-to-one counselling and group therapy ; which are tailored to the specific needs of people who have been in abusive relationships.
Over the last 20 years, we have:
- supported over 14,000 women
- provided over 40,000 hours of free counselling
- delivered more than 13,300 hours of free group therapy
The economic impact
In a report published earlier this year, the Home Office estimated the cost of domestic abuse to survivors living in England and Wales was around £66 billion for the year ending March 2017, alone. It said the biggest component (£47 billion) was attributable to “physical and emotional harms incurred by victims, particularly the emotional harms (the fear, anxiety and depression experienced by victims as a result of domestic abuse).”
Sally continues: “Mental health and domestic abuse are inextricably linked. Domestic abuse is the single largest cause of depression in UK women. Through our own work, we know that many women who have been in abusive relationships experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); are prone to addiction and substance misuse; and are more likely to contemplate suicide.
“We believe the debate is the perfect opportunity to highlight the association between domestic abuse and women’s mental health. Otherwise, survivors will continue to be let down by policy and regulation which fails to connect the dots between domestic abuse and the impact it has on psychological and emotional wellbeing.
“Further, we need a national strategy to address the gaps in policy and funding. Charities like ours provide free mental health support to hundreds of women every year – and while the demand for our services continues to grow, sustained cuts to statutory funding mean ever-increasing competition for resources.”
Ends
For media enquiries or requests for interview, please contact our Trustee, Nadia Mahmud, on: trustee@womanstrust.org.uk
Notes to editors
- Home Office report (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/772180/horr107.pdf)
Woman’s Trust welcomes appointment of new Domestic Abuse Commissioner
Commenting on the Government’s announcement of its new Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Woman’s Trust CEO Heidi Riedel, said: “It is great to see Nicole Jacobs in this role. Through her background and longevity in the sector she has a deep understanding of the major issues that survivors face – and, more importantly, how domestic abuse impacts on many areas of survivors’ lives.
“Domestic abuse is the leading cause of depression among women here in the UK. It is also a major cause of substance misuse, anxiety, social isolation and many survivors also attempt, or contemplate, suicide. If these issues remain untreated then they can continue to affect survivors lives, family lives, and relationships for years; even after an abusive relationship has ended.
“Until now, Government policy and funding has, understandably, focused on the immediate support that survivors need, in terms of refuges and financial support. More recently, there has been increasing awareness around the non-violent, emotional and psychological forms of abuse. And we sincerely hope that the Government fulfils its promise to include the Domestic Abuse Bill in the next Queen’s Speech.
“But it doesn’t go far enough. There is no national strategy for supporting the mental health of survivors, or funding; yet we see more and more need for our services every year. It’s my hope that with Ms Jacobs now in post the Government will start to connect the dots between domestic abuse and mental health, as well as other areas of support that survivors so desperately need.”
Sustainable fashion for woman's trust
Woman’s Trust is pleased to share its new partnership with award winning Fashion Designer Aurélie Fontan. Aurélie will be donating a percentage of the profits of her new line of reused leather bags, the TITAN capsule collection to Woman’s Trust! When asked why she chose to support Woman’s Trust Aurélie said, “violence against women is a very important issue to me because it’s not addressed enough. Though we have progressed so much with women’s rights, I am astonished to hear about or see abuse in my daily life. ” We are so pleased to have Aurélie helping us raise awareness and funds to help women recover from the mental health impact of domestic abuse.
Aurélie’s designs are hand-crafted and sustainably made, themes that run throughout her work. Her pairing of beauty and eco-consciousness has won her the Dame Vivienne Westwood Ethical and Sustainable Award as well as the M&S best Womenswear Award. To see more of Aurélie’s bags go to https://www.fashioncrossover-london.com/aurelie-fontan-m67 . Follow Aurélie on Instagram at @aureliefontan.design
The Royal Parks half marathon is one of the capital's most popular annual running events.
If you're thinking of taking part in the run, why not sign up to fundraise for us as the same time?
Your sponsorship money could, quite literally, be a lifeline for someone who has experienced domestic abuse.
This year's run takes place on Sunday 13th October - and we have some specially allocated spaces available for this fantastic fundraising event.
To book your place with us, please email events@womanstrust.org.uk or visit womanstrust.org.uk/royalpark
Sign up today!
Register here at: womanstrust.org.uk/royalpark
Contact details over the festive period
The Woman's Trust office is now closed for the festive period. We re-open on 02/01/2019, but help is still available, if you need it during this time.
The National Domestic Violence Helpline can be contacted on 0808 2000 247. This service is free and open 24/7 throughout the festive season.
In an emergency, call 999 and then dial 55 if you are unable to talk, as this will notify the operator that the call is genuine.
We wish you a restful and enjoyable festive period.
thank you to our spectacular santa runners!
We had a fantastic day yesterday at the annual London Santa Run!
A HUGE THANK YOU to all of our Woman's Trust supporters who ran for us yesterday.
Together you raised over £1,000 for us!
A special thank you to The Marylebone Hotel for your devotion to our cause!
Support us on #givingtuesday 27th Nov!
Ways to support Woman's Trust on #GivingTuesday 27th November 2018!
#GivingTuesday is the worldwide day for giving back. On this day, millions of supporters fundraise, donate and shout about their favourite charities! There are two exciting initiatives to help us raise vital funds and support more domestic abuse survivors:
Doubling donations!
On #GivingTuesday, 27 November 2018, PayPal is doubling donations received through PayPal Giving, up to a maximum of £1,000 per single donation. They have a £50,000 match-pot and we have a feeling this will disappear really quickly!
You can start donating at 00:01 GMT on Tuesday - perfect for night owls (and everyone else will be snoozing!). Otherwise, we recommend donating as early as you can on Tuesday morning to be sure your donation gets matched!
Our page is here: www.paypal.com/gb/fundraiser/charity/164449 - it’s quick and straightforward to donate. And brilliant to watch your donation magically double!
Giving an extra FREE 50p per transaction!
Give as you Live is a great way to raise funds for Woman’s Trust throughout the year and does not cost you a penny! If you shop online through the Give as you Live website or their app, each retailer gives a percentage of your purchase to us as a donation.
Shop with John Lewis, Amazon, Next, Gap, Selfridges, Harrods, Argos, M&S, Matalan, Tesco …. the list goes on. On #GivingTuesday, Give as you Live is donating a further FREE 50p per transaction on top of the donation from the retailer!
So mark your calendars for 27th November #GivingTuesday and get a head-start on your Christmas shopping! Sign up to create your Give as you Live account in support of Woman’s Trust here: https://www.giveasyoulive.com/join/womanstrust
Sara's story
Sara had known her future husband for a few years before they got married.
He was charming and wealthy and Sara did not realise then that he was controlling her. Not long into their marriage Sara had a daughter and separately, she also became ill and had to go to hospital. Things changed. Her husband became more controlling and would lose his temper, even at the hospital when she was alone. Still Sara believed this was normal behaviour and his right.
Their relationship deteriorated and Sara continued to face not just anger and control directed towards her, but violence, including being hit whilst holding her daughter. Despite poor health she was made to sleep on the sofa on and off, for two years. This became so normal it was not questioned even by their daughter who was now growing. Nearly 10 years into marriage Sara contemplated separation, but her husband threatened to destroy her, take their daughter, and cut off all financial support if she did. Sara was able to turn to her parents and with their support behind her she filed for divorce.
Despite what she was going through Sara did not recognise her experiences as domestic abuse.
Sara’s husband moved out of their home, but continued to be abusive through texts and calls and threats to take their daughter away. Their daughter, still young, was becoming frightened by her father’s behaviour. Although Sara pleaded with him to be sensitive towards her, his attitude was that he could behave as he wished: it was his right as her father. At one point he came to the house and was so abusive and threatening in his behaviour that, frightened, Sara called the police. Her husband was arrested, but not charged. He stated that that she had called the police to benefit her case against him.
Sara’s husband demanded the right to take her daughter away when he wished, taking Sara to court to secure the right to take her away for a two week holiday. This became a pattern: taking Sara to court to get his way. This was something he could afford to do because of his wealth, but it was draining Sara financially.
His temper continued to escalate and he hurt their daughter on more than one occasion when she was in his care. As a result their daughter became more frightened of him, again causing Sara to call the police. Once he locked their daughter in his flat and scared her so much that Sara had to call the police after she had spoken to her daughter. When the police arrived they arrested Sara’s husband. He manipulated events to portray Sara as an unfit mother and the cause of the fear and anxiety they saw in the daughter.
Sara sought help from social services. Her husband convinced them that she was making up the domestic abuse and that she was suffering depression and fabricating lies.
The same happened with a mediation organisation who Sara initially approached. They told her that whilst her husband might have a bad temper, he was essentially a good man. Even the judges seemed biased against her. Sara’s experience throughout was that she was portrayed as a liar and discouraged from saying that her experiences were in any way related to domestic violence or abuse. The topic seemed one that no one was comfortable to handle.
Court proceeding followed as Sara’s now ex-husband tried to take custody of their daughter. Sara was not able to keep paying for lawyers so she was in a weaker position. The hearing to take custody of her daughter was sprung on Sara. She was unable to find representation or get an adjournment. Her daughter was taken away from her the same day without her being able to say good bye properly. This was an incredibly difficult time for Sara.
Sara was referred, by chance, to Woman’s Trust nine months later.
She had been fighting to get her daughter back, and receiving therapeutic support to try and help her. Some of the support had, instead, judged Sara and made her feel, in her own words, 'broken'.
Sara received support from Woman's Trust for a year. In that time she received counselling and attended support groups. Through this she was able to begin to understand what was happening to her and meet others who shared some of her experiences. With this support Sara has been able to draw on her own inner resources and move her life forward. She has gone from struggling with day to day functioning to being able to make positive decisions about where she lives and what she does, and continues the fight to once again be with her daughter. Now however, Sara is able to understand her ex-husband’s moves and is less drawn into them, emotionally.
Sara feels that she has been given a second chance at life and plans to use that to benefit others.
The revolution is on her way - grab your she-shirt today!
the revolution is on her way!
Woman's Trust has partnered with the wonderful She-Shirt Shop to design stylish shirts with a powerful message!
As you can see, all of us in the office love our she-shirts, and while wearing them we feel THRIVING, RESILIENT, UNBREAKABLE, SURVIVING and TENACIOUS!
The shirts are so comfortable, and share such a meaningful message. Plus, 50% of all profits on the Woman's Trust She-Shirts are donated directly to us!
Email a snap of you wearing your She-Shirt to office@womanstrust.org.uk for a chance to appear on our socials!
