John Glen MP, along with around 60 people, attended the launch at Wiltshire College & University Centre of “Fresh Thoughts”, a new information booklet aimed at guiding Wiltshire survivors of Domestic Abuse (DA) through the complex legal process after having the courage to flee their abuser. The booklet was devised by Poole, Purbeck and District Soroptimists who supported their local Women’s Refuge and realised victims had little information about what was going to happen next. “Fresh Thoughts” provides practical information about what to expect if you are going to court as well as online personal safety, financial assistance, housing advice and contact details of local support agencies. The aim of the booklet is to educate, empower and enable victims to take back control and move forward with their lives.
The issue was highlighted in Parliament with the introduction of the Government’s strategy towards halving violence against women and girls. During the debate, Salisbury MP John Glen commended the “Fresh Thoughts” booklet to the Minister Jess Phillips. In reply, Jess Philips took the opportunity to thank Soroptimists around the country for their work on women’s issues which had fed into the Government strategy.
This project won an award for Best Practice at the Soroptimist 2024 National Conference and so far, 17 UK clubs have adapted the booklet for their local area. The Wiltshire edition created by Salisbury and Swindon Soroptimists is the latest version to be launched, with initial funding provided by the High Sheriff’s Fund and several private donors.
The need for the booklet
Liz Batten of Salisbury Soroptimists explained that there had been 12,246 Domestic Abuse crimes in Wiltshire during the last 12 months. The Police know that less than 20% of incidents are reported, so it is estimated that there are around 60,000 Domestic Abuse incidents each year in Wiltshire alone.
Laura Jones, who is an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) at FearFree, described the serious challenges DA victims face as they go through the court system to get injunctions against perpetrators. She says, “Our courts and legal system are not ‘trauma-informed’, so victims often must face their attackers all over again, standing just a few feet away from them before hearings and child access proceedings. They are already traumatised by events that caused them to leave but, because charges are so hard to prove, events must be re-lived to give evidence. The threats and intimidation don’t end when a couple separates. Many perpetrators deliberately use the court system to keep controlling and harassing their victims.” The booklet will help prepare victims for court hearings.
Other speakers
Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police Catherine Roper is also Assistant District Commissioner for the Girl Guides. She told the meeting that she was recently asked by a girl guide to attend a “Safety for Women and Girls” day, set up as part of her Girl Guide Queens Badge award. Chief Constable Roper found it very sad that 100 young girls in the room had to go through training and get advice on how to stay safe. She said, “This is not the kind of world we want!” She praised the Soroptimists for this “tactical and practical” booklet, saying “We know that at Wiltshire police we haven’t always got it right with survivors of domestic abuse. We have improved but it’s not enough. We wholeheartedly support this initiative and are committed to keeping women and girls safe!”. The police will use the booklet for staff training and to distribute to victims of DA.
Speaking in her role as Deputy Chair of Wiltshire End Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG), Nicky Alberry explained how this coalition is bringing together organisations throughout the county involved in the sector. Their working groups include male allyship, law, politics and education. She is keen to involve volunteers in all these fields from the south of the county, which is less well represented.
Nicky is also both a Trustee and Chair of Swindon charity “Society Without Abuse”. Nicky commented “SWA has a great relationship with Swindon Soroptimists and thank you to Salisbury and Dorset groups for this very important work. SWA’s vision is for a safer country free from abuse and we need men to call out bad behaviour among their peers. We are all very grateful to Salisbury MP John Glen for lobbying parliament for better support of the most vulnerable of our nation’s citizens!” Queen Camilla recently attended an SWA event in the county and commented “Domestic Abuse is the scourge of our Society!”. The Queen has also commended the booklet. The Queen most recently appeared on Radio 4’s Today Programme special edition from Clarence House highlighting the horrors of femicide.
After the launch event John Glen MP posted some photos on his social media and commented that he was “delighted to support the launch of the booklet”. He also commended the Soroptimists for their work.
The Fresh Thoughts booklet has been very well-received in Dorset and elsewhere by many organisations working with survivors of domestic abuse. In Wiltshire, it will be distributed to Women’s Refuges, domestic abuse charities and support services, city councils, Citizen Advice Bureaux, Housing Associations, solicitors, Wiltshire Police and the Courts.
700 of the 1000 copies of the booklet printed were distributed at the event. Given the scale of the problem in Wiltshire, this will barely scratch the surface of the need. Salisbury and Swindon Soroptimist groups are looking for sponsorship for a second print run to get the information into the hands of those who need it most.
Orange the World/16 Days of Activism
The launch also coincided with the campaigns 16 Days of Activism and Orange the World which are held annually 25 November to 10 December. Both promote the prevention of violence against women and girls. This year Salisbury Soroptimists joined with Wiltshire Police, Wiltshire Council and FearFree to promote “Healthy Relationships” particularly targeting young people. Posters and post-box toppers were displayed around the city.
In collaboration with Bemerton Film Society, Salisbury Soroptimists also held a film screening of ‘The Farewell’ to raise funds for Salisbury Womens’ Refuge.
If your organisation would be interested in using the Fresh Thoughts booklet, please email sarumsoropts@gmail.com
Coverage in Salisbury Journal
