In October 2022 my sister Angie was murdered in her own home by her Husband. I will be running the London Marathon 2025 on behalf of Refuge to honour Angie’s memory.

Prior to losing Angie I was naïve to the true impact of domestic violence. I certainly didn’t know that 1 in 4 women will experience some form of domestic abuse in her lifetime and hadn’t had cause to learn that two women are murdered in the UK every week at the hands of their current or former partner. It is also estimated another three women per week in the UK lose their life due to domestic violence suicide.

Angie’s death will not be in vain. I want to raise awareness of what we can do to support victims of domestic abuse and want to raise as much money as possible to support the vital work Refuge do to protect and save women and children.

Domestic abuse is largely a hidden crime, occurring primarily at home, difficult to accurately quantify and understand. Rarely spoken about and when discussed, misconceptions are prevalent. Victims unable to unburden what is happening to them due to a sense of shame, guilt and unwavering fear resulting from a complex pattern of behaviour in which their partner has exerted power and control sometimes for many years. Destroying families, resulting in a cycle of abuse that leaves the victim unrecognisable and often isolated.

Refuge is the largest single provider of specialist services to survivors of domestic, sexual and gender-based abuse and runs the freephone, 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline that provides the first step to women escaping abuse. 

By kindly sponsoring me today you are helping to save and change the lives of thousands of women and their children.

£15 could go towards essentials for a woman's first night at a refuge

£17.60 could cover the cost for one of Refuge’s expert team to respond to a contact from a woman fleeing abuse.

£25 could pay for a woman to have a one-to-one meeting with a Refuge key worker in a nearby safe house to start the process of meticulously planning her escape.

£52 could provide a safe night’s sleep for a woman and her children.

£100 could pay for emergency hotel accommodation for a night for a survivor when we can’t find a refuge place for her.

£275 could help fund the running of the National Domestic Abuse Helpline for an hour, providing life-saving information to women who wish to flee.

If you or somebody you know needs support please call our Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.

Find out more about Refuge's work at www.refuge.org.uk.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and for your support x