On the 29th October, I’ll be walking 62 miles in one go for Refuge, a charity supporting women and children experiencing domestic abuse. 🤍

This cause is deeply personal to me. I spent ten years in an abusive relationship without fully understanding what was happening to me, and I know how profoundly abuse can dismantle your sense of self, your independence and your ability to imagine a life beyond it.

I’ve been asked why I’m walking 62 miles in one go, rather than spreading the distance across October. The truth is, I wanted the challenge to reflect something of the reality survivors face...

Abuse doesn’t dismantle a life in manageable pieces, and escaping it rarely comes with the luxury of rebuilding one at your own pace. Survivors can find themselves having to leave behind their homes, financial security, possessions, communities and the lives they’ve spent years building, often all at once, with little support and nowhere safe to turn.

I think about how different my circumstances would be if I didn’t have a home here in the UK to return to. I would be facing homelessness, or having to seek refuge in a shelter. The difference between having somewhere safe to go and having nowhere at all can be life-changing. And for so many women and children, that safety net simply doesn’t exist.

That’s why I’m raising money for Refuge. Every donation will help support thousands of women and children as they navigate the physical, emotional, financial and logistical consequences of abuse, giving them the support they need to rebuild their lives and move towards a future free from fear.

If you’re able to donate, share this post or help spread the word, I’d be so grateful. Every contribution matters, and every woman deserves the chance to start again somewhere safe.

Thank you

Em xx