1 in 5 women and 1 in 6 men are sexually assaulted each year;

1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men suffer from domestic violence each year;

And those statistics are only from the crimes that are reported.

Victims of abuse do not always come forward: they fear no one will believe them or feel ashamed of the abuse they have suffered. Yet, it is not their fault. Victim blaming leads to victims being too afraid of getting the support they need. The way you are dressed, the way you behave, what you do or who you are does not constitute abuse. In reality, there is no valid reasoning to excuse the abuser's actions.

Raising awareness of abuse and supporting services that help sufferers encourages victims to take the steps to recovery. It's not an instant process but having understanding and awareness of sexual abuse and domestic violence eases the difficulty of it.

Safeline is a non-profit charity organisation that supports victims of sexual abuse through providing counselling services, young people's projects, helplines and much more.

Having witnessed domestic violence first-hand and my family suffering at the hands of sexual abuse, it is my mission to tackle the stigma surrounding abuse and raise awareness of its impact.

I intend to raise £1000 by 1st March 2020 for Safeline, in order for them to continue their amazing services and as a thank you for all the support they have given me and my family. Without their help, I would not be where I am today.

Together we must share hope and makes changes <3