The Survivor Thriver community café will support women and their children within west Kent who are survivors of domestic abuse (DA).
Women coming out of abusive relationships often feel very isolated and lonely and feel that no one understands or can empathize with their situation. The café will bring women together in a safe, peer led environment where they can share their stories if they wish to or can just enjoy the company and activities on offer. Look Ahead carried out a consultation with our DA customers as to the types of activities they would like to enjoy at the project and ideas such as yoga, belly dancing and healthy eating were suggested. We will bring in outside experts to facilitate activities each week according to feedback from attendees as to what they would like. Look Ahead will also organise activities for children such as play, singing and children's entertainers. There will always be a domestic abuse expert on site for women to discuss any ongoing issues.
What we'll deliver:
- Support well being for domestic abuse survivors in the community
- Support integration and reduce loneliness and isolation for domestic abuse survivors
- Support women to access advice regarding getting back to training, work and finances in result build their self-esteem
Why it's a great idea:
This project will support female domestic abuse survivors and their children in west Kent to integrate into the community, will reduce loneliness and isolation and through the activities available will help to increase their well being and that of their children.
Through peer support our project will give women the chance to explore what has happened and a domestic abuse expert will be on hand to discuss any risks and or ongoing issues. This will hopefully reduce repeat referrals into Police and MARAC and overall increase the safety of these women and their children.
The project will also offer advice about training and education and advice about getting back into the workplace. This will support the local economy and empower women to move on successfully with their lives.
Steps to get it done:
- Set up arrangements for a venue
- Find peer support volunteers
- Organise the activities and contact providers for delivery
- Launch the Cafe and open it to the community
This project will hopefully increase wellbeing and integration for female domestic abuse survivors in our community. It will decrease loneliness and isolation for women.
The project will also be supporting local community volunteers linked to the Church who will be working in the cafe alongside our peer mentors.
It will hopefully decrease repeat victimization and MARAC referrals and support women to access further survivor groups which Look Ahead offer.
The drop in will give survivors the opportunity to talk about and share their experiences in a safe environment if they wish to in order to increase wellbeing and support them to move forward safely.
Look Ahead have run one off projects previously in refuge such as belly dancing and feedback from survivors has been positive so this drop in will take this idea forward and we will be able to increase our reach from refuge into the community.