Walk 62 miles for Refuge

This is not work related - but I wouldn't be sitting at my desk, happily doing my job if it wasn't for this charity.

As a survivor of domestic abuse, I wake up everyday grateful for the life I now have. You see, abuse does not happen all of a sudden. Often the perpetrator is charming and, at the start, sweeps you off your feet. The abuse is a slow, insidious drip, like someone dimming a light by a fraction each day, and eventually you do not notice that you are living in darkness. The perpetrator is often a master at manipulation, so that you end up thinking that all the problems are of your own making. It destroys who you are and makes it impossible to rationalise leaving.

When someone arrives at refuge, they have nothing. No possessions, self-esteem, confidence or even a capacity to believe that life can ever be any better. The charities supporting those fleeing domestic abuse provide them with somewhere safe to stay and slowly help them to rebuild their lives. When they helped me to turn the light back on in my life, the feeling was the most profound I have ever experienced.

All these charities are underfunded and lack enough resources to help everyone that needs them. When I first sought refuge, I was told there was no space. Luckily, I had somewhere safe to go until they could accommodate me; I can’t imagine what it must be like to finally leave, only to realise you have to go back because you have nowhere else to go (just to note, if you present yourself at a police station and say you are fleeing abuse, they are duty bound to find somewhere for you to stay – although I have as yet to meet someone that had the courage to do this).

That is why I am doing a month of sponsored walking for Refuge. If you would like to support this cause, you can donate here.