Leeway Hosts Annual Conference with The Magdalene Group

We recently held a joint conference with the Magdalene Group, highlighting some of the great work that is being done to tackle domestic abuse and violence against women and girls.

It was also a great opportunity to celebrate the two organisations’ landmark years and reflect on the progress that both have made. This year marks our 50th anniversary, whilst the Magdalene Group are celebrating a special milestone of their own, having provided support for women facing sexual violence, exploitation and coercion for 30 years.

Celebrating Decades of Progress

The event celebrated the many positive changes to tackle violence against women and girls over the past 30 and 50 years, as well as highlighting the collective roles we have to play to continue to tackle it.

Coverage around domestic abuse is often quite negative and, although it is right to highlight areas where things aren’t working or improvements are needed, we wanted to highlight the progress that is being made, thanks to the hard work of campaigners.

We had a range of expert speakers covering a whole host of topics, highlighting areas where progress is being made to tackle domestic abuse, including:

• Rachel Millar (Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s Office) – Political changes and priorities for the Commissioner’s office.
• Dr Olumide Adisa (University of Suffolk) – Supporting migrant survivors and the importance of a system-led approach to tackling domestic abuse.
• Janey Starling (Level Up) – Changing the way the media reports on domestic abuse.
• Sara Plastow (The Magdalene Group) – An insight into the Magdalene Group’s support services.
• Zina & Tiegan Wilkinson (Survivors) – Personal experiences of domestic abuse.
• Jonna Barry (Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust) – The exploitation of women, particularly through County Lines.
• Nick Gazzard (Hollie Gazzard Trust) – Highlighting the work of the Hollie Gazzard Trust (named after his daughter Hollie, who was killed by her ex-partner) and the Holly Guard app, which is helping to keep women safe.
• Jess Macmichael (Cats Protection) – How pet fostering schemes are breaking down barriers for survivors looking to access support.

We were also lucky enough to have a short Q&A session, giving attendees the chance to ask questions to our expert speakers.

Short speeches from representatives of both Leeway and the Magdalene Group reflected on the journeys that the organisations had been on and the continued importance of their work across our local communities.

We would like to thank everyone that spoke at our event, providing an insight into the important work that they are doing to tackle domestic abuse and violence against women and girls.

Everyone’s Business

The purpose of events such as our annual conference is to raise awareness of domestic abuse and highlight how everyone has a role to play to tackle it.

There were many different sectors represented at our conference from health to education, as well as support organisations, and it is encouraging to see that it’s an issue that is being taken seriously locally.

We believe that, by being able to spot the signs of domestic abuse and confidently signpost people to support, it will enable survivors to get support at the earliest possible opportunity and reduce their risk of serious harm.

Through our awareness events, training, and fundraising, we hope to continue to reach out across our communities and encourage conversations around domestic abuse.