VOL. 2 | SPRING 2021 IN THE LOOP

Family Help Darlington CIO Newsletter for Staff, Trustees, Friends, Clients, Volunteers and Supporters. Family Help wins the National... Domestic Abuse Support Organisation of the Year

It's time for Family Help in invest in a Corporate Livewire was so impressed with trophy cabinet as the receives our achievements that not only have they another award! awarded us Domestic Abuse Support In the last edition of our newsletter, we Organisation of the Year - United Kingdom, announced that Family Help had been but they have nominated us for the same awarded Best Domestic Abuse Support accolade in the global awards... Service in the North East in the 2020 SME Wish us luck! Enterprise Awards.

And now, we are thrilled to announce that Welcome to the 2nd Family Help has been recognised on a edition of In the Loop - national scale in CorporateLiveWire's Innovation and Excellence Awards. Family Help's We have worked quarterly newsletter tirelessly to ensure the provision of our Family Help wins Best Domestic Abuse service throughout Support Organisation of the Year Christmas in the Refuge the COVID-19 The Big Give Update pandemic and our News from the Playroom innovative Refuge Refreshed approaches meant Hartbeeps Fundraiser that we were one Middlesbrough FC Fundraiser A word from our CEO of the first refuges Future-proofing the Refuge in the UK to be Amazon Smile fully-operational Domestic Abuse Awareness Pack following the first Knowledge is Power - Book of the Quarter national lockdown About Family Help What our clients say in March 2020. Family Help - Get involved Christmas in the UPDATE: The Big Refuge... Give Christmas We are well into 2021 now Challenge but the Family Help team are still recovering from the In our last newsletter, we told overwhelming support you about our aim to raise from the community at £4,000 with the Big Give Christmas! Christmas Challenge.

From individuals to We are thrilled to tell you that community groups, local We are proud to have been we smashed our target and businesses to national recognised by our local MP supermarket chains... the raised a fantastic £4,660 for Peter Gibson for our efforts in generosity of our local our campaign... 'Family Help... making the festive period a community was not Not just for Christmas'. hindered by COVID-19 and special time for our clients we were able to facilitate and their children. in a COVID-safe way.

Our clients and their children were so grateful to receive , donations of toys, gifts, sweet treats, Christmas dinner and Christmas Eve boxes. We even had a visit from Santa! A huge thank you to all who donated or helped to spread the word of our

Pictured; Family Help's Gemma Cordey campaign. Your donations with Daisy Pattison and will help us to provide our Councillor Darrien Wright current and future clients From all of us at Family Help, with a well-deserved respite, we'd like to say a huge thank relaxation and rehabilitation you to the local community for programme in 2021. your overwhelming support; without your help the magical Christmas we were able to We are so grateful and Pictured: Santa with Julie Wright, a local provide to our families would resident who asked those that came to overwhelmed by the not have been possible. view her brightly decorated house to support from all of our donate gifts for our families supporters. Thank you. 2 News from the 'In a world where Playroom... you can be

Statistics say that the majority anything, be kind' of children in an abusive The playroom in our refuge home witness the violence provides a safe, positive and abuse that occurs. And in environment for children to 90% of cases, children are in learn important life skills the same or the next room. through play. Art therapy allows children to process what has happened to "We always see an them and helps to reduce stress improvement in mood with all and anxiety. the children after art and craft activities. The freedom to express themselves and have fun is a real release for the children when often they don't have the language or skills to express and process their emotions" Rebecca, Children Our Children and Young and Young People's Worker. People's Workers have created a 'positivity wall' with We asked some of the children encouraging quotes promoting staying at the refuge to tell us confidence and kindness, how art therapy makes them feel; which is so important for our they said it makes them feel children on their journey to 'relaxed' and they enjoy being safer and more positive able to be 'creative'. outcomes.

Refuge Refreshed... When clients come into our refuge, they often arrive with very little.

At Family Help, we like to ensure our families feel at home right away. Coming into a refuge, miles from home, can be unsettling for our clients and their children - they miss the familiarity of home - which is why it is so would like to support us with the important that our refuge is of new single bedding, homely and welcoming. cushions, table and floor lamps, artificial plants etc then please The refuge is undergoing a get in touch... refresh currently and if you [email protected] 3 Hartbeeps raises over Ali contacted local Football businesses for prizes and £1,000 for Family had an amazing response ... Fundraiser Help with raffle the incredible selection of Middlesbrough Football prizes included photo Club very kindly donated a Local resident, Ali Harrison ,who shoots, a stunt driving shirt and football signed by runs Hartbeeps Darlington, has experience, cakes, gift sets, the first team for Family Help raised an outstanding £1,030.00 to raise worthwhile funds. hair and beauty vouchers for Family Help by holding a The raffle was a huge and a family swim session. raffle with highly-coveted prizes! success with the prize We are so grateful for Ali's winner receiving the MFC Ali reached out to the parents amazing support, in these goodies on Christmas Day! and carers of her little clients, as difficult times, donations well as her wider network on make such a difference to Facebook, and managed to sell the families staying with us. an incredible number of tickets.

For more information about Hartbeeps' musical classes for baby, toddler and pre- school children, email [email protected]. Pictured left to right: MFC's Neil Maddison and Sam Collins with Family Help's Gemma Cordey.

Thanks to Neil Maddison for facilitating this Pictured: Ali Harrison of Hartbeeps Darlington. incredibly kind donation of MFC memorabilia.

Words from our CEO...

2021 marks the 45th anniversary of Family Help's provision of refuge and support to domestic abuse victims. The charity has come a long way since 1976 when it occupied a small terraced house in the town centre and was run by a group of volunteers...

But the passion and dedication of all those involved with Family Help remains steadfast. I would like to thank each staff member, Trustee, volunteer, supporter and grant body that has enabled us to continue providing our award-winning service to our clients in these turbulent times.

Here's to some form of normality returning soon so that we can see more of you in person and celebrate our 45th anniversary in style... Please keep your eyes peeled for announcements.

4 Carole Future-proofing the Amazon Smile - Domestic Abuse Refuge Shop til you drop! Awareness Packs When the pandemic hit, it soon Calling all Amazon shoppers! We have been busy became apparent that we needed If you use Amazon, you can now preparing and distributing to alter the way in which we raise funds for Family Help Domestic Abuse Awareness operated and that things would while you shop! packs to local businesses - never be quite the same again. each pack contains useful information about support In light of this 'new normal' we had services as well as to future-proof the refuge, which guidance for managers of involved the creation of a new staff experiencing domestic office space... known as the abuse . 'Studio'. This has enabled us to continue to provide our full service. Head to smileamazon.co.uk and choose 'Family Help Darlington Thanks to funding from the CIO' from the list of charities to Ministry of Housing Communities support us every time you shop and Local Government, we were on Amazon this way! able to secure a new portakabin with mess facilities and room for You must shop using the three socially-distanced work smileamazon.co.uk website for spaces (pictured below). this to work. If you have the Amazon app, you can link your If you feel that your business Amazon Smile account so that or workplace could benefit you can raise funds for our charity from our information pack this way too. then please get in touch. Our contact details can be found Happy Shopping! at the end of this newsletter.

Knowledge is power... Introducing our new feature 'Knowledge is power' where we will be suggesting books that educate about domestic abuse. Our first recommendation is... The Devil at Home by Rachel Williams

The Devil at Home is a brave and honest account of Rachel Williams' real-life experience of domestic abuse. In this account, Rachel shines a light on the many different types of abuse in the hope that, like her, more victims will live to tell their tale.

With a foreword by Michael Sheen and commendation from Victoria Derbyshire, The Devil at Home is available via Amazon... Remember to use AmazonSmile and select 'Family Help Darlington CIO' as your chosen charity to help raise funds for our cause. 5 'Family Help... A place to call home'

Who we are... What we do... What our clients say...

Established in 1976, Family Not only is Family Help home to We have helped many clients to Help Darlington CIO is an Darlington's women's refuge, it move on in the last few months also provides an emotional and award-winning independent and we are proud of the recent practical support service to all of feedback received... charity, which is home to its clients. Darlington’s only women’s 'The refuge is a safe haven refuge – one of the longest- with a family feel' standing refuges in the UK. 'Staff have been non- For those that need it, Family judgemental and really Help provides safe temporary supportive' accommodation in a purpose-built refuge. 'The support received exceeded my expectations' Every year, Family Help accommodates around 60 women and 100 children, Family Help provides a holistic providing them with a safe, package with in-house welcoming home and a counselling, children and young supportive team who people's workers and move-on encourage progress support to help clients with towards positive and safe legal matters, finances, housing outcomes. and benefits.

Ways to donate to Family Help...

Facebook Donate PayPal Giving Virgin Money Giving www.facebook.com/FamilyHelpDarlington/app www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/3217555 uk.virginmoneygiving.com Charity ID -1015746

If you would like further information on ways you can support us, please email [email protected]

Stay Connected - Follow us on social media

/FamilyHelpDarlington @FamilyHelpCIO @FamilyHelpCIO

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