Spotlight on CWN Members - My Sister's Place!

The team at My Sister’s Place, based in Middlesbrough, wanted to use this Spotlight series to talk about the community response to domestic abuse – particularly apt during the #16DaysofActivism! The team understand that women deserve the right response to domestic abuse – the first time they tell someone what is happening.

Through the Change that Lasts programme, the Ask Me scheme empowers local people to become Community Ambassadors, through a training course which gives them the skills to talk about domestic abuse in a non-victim blaming way, to ensure women are able to access specialist support when they need it, and get the right services to meet their needs.

The Ask Me team know that local communities are often the first to know when women are subjected to abuse and so want to upskill and support community members to listen, believe and support women, working alongside a specialist domestic abuse service so that Ambassadors can also access the support they need to support people close to them.

The training to become an ambassador takes 12 hours, with some reflective activities in between sessions to help change the culture of domestic abuse. You’ll learn about how to break down barriers for women who want to access help and support, understand how to start a conversation about domestic abuse, how to respond when someone tells you what is happening to them and how to ensure you have good boundaries, self-care and how to access support for yourself. The programme offers ongoing support, opportunities to meet up, take part in activism and develop links with your peers involved in the project.

Feedback from the training has been amazing - two of the Community Ambassadors said: 

"From my experience this is the best training I may have ever had. There was a variety of activities that challenged our perceptions on domestic abuse but was accessible enough to discuss our understanding with one another. It was profound, at times entertaining and offers realistic guidance on how to be more aware of such issues." 

"It really has empowered me in all aspects of my life, and I am truly grateful I was able to attend. I feel a new sense of pride for being a survivor and an ignited passion for doing all I can to support others who may have found/find themselves in an abusive situation." 

If you’d like to find out more about becoming a Community Ambassador, you can email hello@mysistersplace.co.uk for further information, check out their website, linked below, or find details of all of their social media and campaign information through this easy link!

My Sister’s Place are rightly proud of the amazing work they do with and for survivors of sexual violence across Cleveland and we’re proud of their place in our Network. You can find out more about My Sisters’ Place including how to donate to their essential services, by following THIS LINK.

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