Friday 29th November 2024
P.H.O.E.B.E invites you to our first annual Gender Justice & Intersectional Practice Conference. Join us for a day of networking, learning, and inspiring discussions in one of Suffolk’s most multicultural towns.
Testimonials
HOW WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Before Phoebe
SM and her ex-partner moved to the United Kingdom in 2013. She became aware that the Ex-partner was again unfaithful to her. During arguments, he would take her belongings from her such as the phone, car keys, house keys, access to the internet and bank card. He would return the belongings only after getting SM to agree to what he wanted from her. He would also behave in a controlling manner and he wanted to isolate her as he would become irritated if she went out to visit her friends or family. They had a joint bank account in which they would receive child benefits, universal credit payments and SM salary for her part-time job. Occasionally, the Ex-partner would use the money available in the joint account for his own benefit, leaving the household short of money to cover the family expenses.
After Phoebe
In March 2021, SM sought domestic abuse advocacy support from PHOEBE as she could not handle the abuse anymore and feared for her life. With PHOEBE support, she was placed into emergency accommodation with her children. Shortly after she was moved with the children into her current home, were PHOEBE supported her to seek help from local systems to furnish the house and get the resources she needed to restart her life. SM also started attending PHOEBE activities such as ESOL classes, trainings, etc During this time, the Ex-partner would contact SM via phone calls and text messages in which he would verbally abuse her. He called her disparaging names, such as “bitch”. On one occasion, he placed the belongings that she had left at his address in the front garden of the property to be taken. This included the children’s belongings.
At the beginning of 2022, after SM settled her life with the children, she expressed her interest in becoming a volunteer for PHOEBE and “give back to others the support received”. SM started to volunteer for PHOEBE a couple of hours a week where she would support staff delivering and organising some of the activities for the beneficiaries.
Recently, SM joined the organisation a part-time women support worker, has completed the requisite trainings and development programmes. SM is currently closely working with PHOEBE beneficiaries including implementing numerous project activities and services across PHOEBE programmes.