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We are so pleased to welcome Woman’s Trust as a partner of UK SAYS NO MORE. Find out more about their services:
When a woman is in an abusive relationship, the focus is often- rightly- on getting her away from her partner, to a place where they can’t hurt her.
But escaping domestic abuse is not just about being physically removed from your abuser. The impact doesn’t end when the violence stops, when the woman gets away, or even when the perpetrator is convicted.
These are all important steps, but among the focus on getting a woman away from harm we mustn’t lose sight of the invisible damage which has often been inflicted. Many victims of domestic abuse suffer from serious mental health problems after they escape from their partner, and will need long term help and support to recover.
This is where Woman’s Trust started, over 20 years ago. Survivors of domestic abuse joined forces with counsellors to develop a local specialist mental health support for women affected by domestic abuse in London. Together they understood that domestic violence damages women’s mental health and makes them vulnerable to post-traumatic stress disorder, drug and alcohol misuse, depression, isolation, self-harm and even suicidal thoughts.
We were set up to empower women to overcome the often debilitating effects of domestic violence and regain control of their lives by improving their mental health.
Since then we have enabled thousands of women to move on from their past, make good choices, better support their children and live free from abuse. Beyond this though we also aim to help them play an active role in the community, and even become involved in work such as UK SAYS NO MORE.
We feel our work is a key part of the protection of women outlined in the government’s call to end Violence Against Women and Girls.
What we do today:
Our Services
We provide free, women-only, client-led services to women affected by domestic violence in locations across East and West London. We offer hardship travel and childcare grants to enable access to all women.
Services include:
- Person-centred one-to-one counselling – One initial assessment session and then up to 18 sessions, at times and local venues to suit clients. We want women to regain their voice, feel valued and able to move on from abuse; resulting in better life chances for them and their children.
- Self-development workshops – One day workshops for women to learn about types of abuse and the effects on survivors and their children. They learn strategies for staying safe, addressing their emotions and planning for the future.
- Support Groups – These are peer support groups that run in 8 week blocks. The aim is to help women overcome the social isolation that domestic violence can create. Recent client feedback has led us to initiating two evening groups for working women.
To find out more please go to the Woman’s Trust website.
Interested in becoming a partner of UK SAYS NO MORE?
We’d love to hear from you, please get in touch with Lyndsey Dearlove, Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Partnership Manager.
You can contact Lyndsey by email at Lyndsey.Dearlove@hestia.org or by phone at 020 7378 3170.
