I will be covering 62 Miles in August for Refuge because 1 in 4 women in England and Wales will experience domestic abuse and I am one of those women.

Community-based services support women in accessing safe housing, mental health services, support during legal proceedings and much, much more. However, survivors currently face a postcode lottery when it comes to receiving this vital support: in 2022 less than 50% of those who wanted to access this type of support were able to.

Refuge work to provide specialist services to survivors of domestic abuse, as well as campaign for additional government funding to ensure that, one day, all survivors of domestic abuse will be able to receive the support they so greatly need.

I was fortunate enough to access the necessary support via the Gateshead Council Domestic Abuse Team. I was given a support worker who took care of me during an extremely difficult time in my life. Through my DA worker, a wealth of support became available to me that I wouldn’t otherwise have been able to access. I want all women to be given that same chance.

On any given day, Refuge supports 7000 women and children. Just £10 could provide a woman arriving at a Refuge with the support she needs for her first night. Every £1 makes a difference.

If you can’t donate, then please follow Refuge or Women’s Aid on social media. Read their posts, support their campaigns, sign their petitions. My main reason for participating in this challenge is to raise awareness of domestic abuse and these organisations work tirelessly to help educate people on what domestic abuse really is.

My support worker told me that knowledge is power: my recovery journey began with an information leaflet given to me by a nurse in A&E. Increasing people’s understanding and removing the stigma around domestic abuse could save a life. Thank you!