Healing and Empowering Women
I have put a lot of thought in the planned weekend from listening to other women and their needs. In this from my journey of healing too. My choice of venue being the local university with the lovely womb like Spa hotel.... Deliberately chosen for the inspiration it would give women being on the campus. A chance to see a way of rebuilding through academic study and fresh career pathway. I had speakers, counsellors, therapist and other departments in the university to help out in workshops. I had stylists and beauticians to help with the re-loving self and gaining confidence as the wonderful women we are that are SURVIVORS.... I had some women that have rebuilt their lives that saw this weekend as a way to reach back to other women on the journey and help them. The weekend was not just for women in the borough but would have been advertised nationally and internationally with social media.
The residential weekend was not for the acute stage but for women that are out of the danger but still suffering from the aftermath. Psychological and physical trauma and spiritual trauma too as the whole of your being is abused with the constant exposure to the verbal and physical violence. The controlling nature of the perpetrator with the manipulation of your psyche means it is not that straight forward to say "oh you are out of it now move on!" There is a journey of healing, detoxing from the ugliness of violence and regaining confidence...and Be empowered to yes then move on and let go. There is a need to get the anger and frustration of the inner pain you are in too. So the workshops were designed to let that out the pain in a creative way. Because the perpetrator is known in his behaviour to financially cripple his prey... the whole event was to be FREE to the women in need. This was also a consideration to the fact that many women would be on benefits and the failings of the DWP policies to support them fully.
We were seeking good sponsors. In this there was reach out to partner with a charity so that the sponsors could help them in fundraising too. There were events to come on the campus where we were going to reach out to the students to increase awareness of the whole area of domestic violence and help fund raise for the charity partnered.
It seems somewhat ironical that we as victims of abuse that have had our lives sabotaged that now a proactive and creative way of healing has been sabotaged. I still feel bewildered why the LBH councillor said advocate for women wanted to sabotage this project without actually seeing the whole format and story. She has fussed up the situation with her adherence to the what she clearly specialises in the acute phase of the attacks and trauma. Caused concern in the university when we had not yet present the whole package to the chancellor for final approval... There was more planning and logistics to formulate as with any event.. So this has been squashed when no one other than the speakers and event co-ordinator have seen this full powerpoint... and all the additional thought and plans.
This project was designed for those in the chronic rebuild of their lives stage, still carrying the hurt and the pain. There was no need to think of policing and security as the women to be accepted on this course were to be those out of danger and in rebuild of lives.
I am finding now how much I time and thought and desire to help I have put into this weekend of Healing and Empowerment. Now I feel adrift and with this woman saboteur not even reaching out to apologise to me.. The way she has done this sabotage is quite worrying to come in on my facebook and invade my social media.... But it was useful her doing this on the open wall for all to see. All my international friends are shocked at the displayed attitude in the dialogue.
The charity management team was to arrange a meeting with me and the event co-ordinator at the end of the month after annual leave. They were excited at our interest as it coincided with their 25th anniversary and a conference to be presented. It is very baffling and very worrying that the London Borough of Hillingdon council should take this action to stop me with this project and not see the value of the event being planned. It is a worry that the council feel they can decide for women what they should or should not have???!! Strange you would think they would embrace this with the university to be a model of best practice in helping women rebuild their lives and be empowered. I know it may be uncomfortable for the Tory led council but the DWP policies have to be challenged to modification to help not fail women. So the petition is ongoing for a nationwide challenge to this need. Women's voices need to be heard..
Sign and share to go viral as the problem already is viral... !
Support the Petition to get a Strong & Stable pathway of support for women
Help to me to promote the cause nationwide and fund workshops
