REFUGE

I am fundraising for Refuge (the country’s largest single provider of specialist domestic violence services). Refuge offers a range of services from a 24-hour helpline to emergency accommodation for women fleeing abuse. Refuge aims to empower women and children to rebuild their lives, free from violence and fear.

MY REASONS

Refuge is a charity very close to my heart. My family experienced nearly six years of domestic violence. My mother married a man that abused her mentally, physically and emotionally. My mother found it extremely difficult to leave her abusive husband. She had no money, nowhere to go, she had no self-esteem left and clung to the belief that he would/could change. She felt completely trapped. Additionally, my mother had four children who she feared would get hurt if she ever attempted to leave. Within those six years, I watched my beautiful, funny, intelligent mother become a shell of her former self. During this time, my mother, my siblings and I lived in fear in our own home. We hated returning from school. My family were classified as high risk on the social services register which means that my siblings could have been placed into care (I was too old at this point). Although refuge never helped my family (we never realised it existed) others did. Social services, an abuse officer and lawyers gave my mother the information she needed to leave him. She found that inner strength I always knew she had. She kicked her abusive partner out and filed for divorce in 2009. In the last five years, we have worked hard as a family to rebuild our lives.  My family are living proof that it is possible to survive domestic violence with the right support.

Support and practical information are so important in these situations. No woman or child should live in fear within their own home! This is the reason I am completing this challenge to raise money for refuge!

THE CHALLENGE

My challenge is to swim the distance of the English Channel in my local swimming pool between Monday 29^th September 2014 to Sunday 21^st December 2014 (22 miles in 12 weeks).

My local swimming pool is 25m. 22 miles = 1416 lengths of a 25m pool to complete. This challenge requires me to swim 118 lengths per week (2950 metres a week).

Wish me luck!

 Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.