It’s the Great North Run on Sunday!

I’m glad I got a place in this one, the biggest and best half marathon in a city I still think of as home.

I’m doing this, my third wheelchair half marathon this year, in aid of nia.

nia runs services for women and girls who have been subjected to sexual and domestic violence and abuse, including prostitution.

https://niaendingviolence.org.uk/

There are two main reasons I chose to raise money for nia in particular, when there are other charities helping women and girls who are victims of sexual and domestic violence.

First is nia’s guiding principle and track record:

nia is run for women and children by women, providing services developed in consultation with women who have been subjected to men’s violence and from a proudly feminist foundation. We have been delivering services to women, girls and children who have been subjected to sexual and domestic violence and abuse, including prostitution, since 1975.

It’s vital that services for women and girls who have been subject to violence by men remain male-free. Male presence in those spaces can further traumatise those women and girls who are desperate, above all, to escape violence and fear. nia maintains an all-woman staff team for this purpose and the services it delivers are exclusively for women and children.

Second, nia is a local charity, although not local to me personally. This means that donations go more or less directly to the people who need it, in the places it is needed, without great administrative overhead. Here’s a summary of some of nia’s recent impacts:

• In the year between April 2019 and March 2020, nia provided one-to-one support to 1,488 women, girls and children and a further 1063 women and/or family/friends/agencies through the ELRC helpline.
• 18 volunteers gave 560 hours of their time to help women and girls through the East London Rape Crisis Information and Support Line and Huggett Women’s Centre.
• 52 children under 16 who had been subjected to or witnessed domestic violence and abuse were supported by nia’s Play Therapy.

Much, much more can be found here.

nia has had enormous impact, efficiently turning donations into vital, targeted, community-focused services. They make a huge difference to the lives of women and girls who are subject to sexual and domestic violence and abuse.

Finally, quotes from some of the women who have worked with nia:

“I felt heard and not judged, which allowed me to better verbalise my issues and that prompted change in my life”

“I just want to thank you for your support over the past months, you have been more helpful to me than perhaps you realised and for that I am grateful. It is so helpful to talk to you because you understand, especially the small things that are difficult to explain; other people don’t understand. Thank you”.

“What you all do is lifesaving. I was so beaten down by the system and having nia help me to know what happened was wrong and unacceptable. The system does not support women at all and it is dangerous that they are saying they do. Women are being murdered at alarming rates. These men have no right to do this to us. We are valuable and worthy”

“I have to thank you again for all your help, you never gave up on me and that’s why I am where I am now”.

“She spoke very favourably about the support at the centre, the relaxed atmosphere and the kindness and welcome she received. It is fantastic to hear such positive feedback and it was wonderful to see how much more relaxed and at ease my client presented when I visited her. She was very much looking forward to having her nails done at the centre and she has met several friends whilst attending the coffee mornings.”

“What do other women do in these situations without help from people like you? I would not have coped, I wouldn’t be here”.

“Thank you so much for your help, you have helped me a lot. I am upset not to talk to you anymore. My mental health feels much better. I feel more positive and more relaxed. It is good to know you are there to talk to, I don’t feel alone. I know I would not have this help in my country. Thank you.”

“The support around court and housing was very useful for me, due to my mental health I can only deal with so much. I’ve got my life back and free from abuse.”

“Honestly the support line has been so helpful, if it weren’t for Rape Crisis I honestly would not have coped.”

“You guys helped me a hell of a lot. I wasn’t aware of some of my options and rights; routes to do things. I am getting my cooker now from social services as the other one was smashed by my ex-partner. You advised me of this, that I can ask my social worker. You are very supportive.”

“It was only when ELRC became involved that I became stable, within a month I was able to return to work.”

“Everybody is looking after me, thank you. You have been excellent! More than excellent! What could I have done without you? I was crying all the time. I would have committed suicide and I was thinking about it. I am so grateful. You gave me hope, you took away the fear out of me as I was paralysed with fear that he was going to kill me when the order expired. I now have no anxiety. Whenever I talk to you, you lift my spirit.”

Please support nia if you can, they make an enormous difference. I’m certain that in these times of economic difficulty violence against women and girls will only increase, making the need for charities like nia greater still.

You can contribute to my crowdfunder here. Every penny goes directly to nia.