6th September 2021
“When I made the decision to leave my abusive husband, I was confused and felt terrified, I didn’t know what to do or where to get the right support for myself and my children. A friend mentioned Springfield and said they might be able to help.”
Springfield Domestic Abuse Support in Kendal has been welcoming women in crisis and helping them turn their lives around since 1915.
As well as providing emergency accommodation, the charity also runs the community hub, which provides tailored one-to-one emotional and practical support and group work including a weekly drop-in and various courses throughout the year such as self-esteem and confidence building.
The hub, which runs from Stricklandgate House in Kendal, received £6,000 over three years from the Cumbria Fund to ensure help is available for those in abusive relationships. It has supported people to recover and develop positive coping strategies and move forward, free from a life of abuse.
It can be a lonely and vulnerable time when deciding to leave an abusive relationship. “I felt numb, emotional and unable to trust anyone, especially myself. I started one-to-one sessions with the same support person, which helped with continuity of care and building up trust and to deal with the crisis I found myself in,” said one woman.
The funding helped to provide 424 one to one sessions and welcome meetings during 2019/2020 alongside 54 group sessions. 93 clients reported improved understanding and increased emotional resilience.
“I have implemented many of the techniques, which helped me to become stronger, wiser and more knowledgeable to live a free and happy life. Springfield gave me permission to be me. Without them, I literally would not be here today.”
Victoria Roberts, Strategic Service Manager, said: “We have used group work to explore healthy relationships, abusive and non-abusive behaviours to enable victims/survivors to spot early warning signs in future relationships. Group work can be very proactive in breaking the cycle of abuse. Small grants and donations are the foundation of a small charity and enable us to continue delivering various small projects and additional services.”