This year marks 10 years of Bloom UK’s partnership with Women’s Aid supporting their mission to end domestic abuse against women and children. To honour this milestone, Bloom hosted an event with Women’s Aid to celebrate everything we have achieved to date thanks to our members and sponsors.
Not only was it a celebration, it created an opportunity for additional fundraising with plenty of happy raffle prize winners and time to write thank you cards to others who have donated to Women’s Aid.
The Partnership
What started as Christmas gift donations to refuge centres, has grown in to a long term and hugely impactful partnership with a phenomenal £268,136 raised across the decade!
Faye Connelly, Head of Fundraising at Women’s Aid, shared some of the real life impact that has resulted from this level of donation including support for The Survivors Forum, extension of Live Chat Helpline hours and training community ambassadors with the knowledge and skills to ‘Break the Silence’ and raise awareness of domestic abuse in their communities.
Bloomers have come together to raise additional funds, most recently in 2024, taking part in the Step Forward Challenge which is a month long challenge to walk 60 miles. The events team organised a group walk in London which not only brought the community together but even caught the interest of Tom Cruise who dropped in from his helicopter for a photo opportunity!
Whilst the event on 13th November was a celebration, it was also an opportunity to highlight some of the myths around domestic abuse. Women’s Aid hosted a fireside chat with Malin Andersson who shared her own experiences and discussed some of the warning signs to look out for in those around us both in our personal lives and workplaces.
Looking Forward
Bronac McNeill, Chair of Bloom UK, shared her hopes for the future of the partnership and for a safer future for everyone.
“I’d like, in the future, for us not to be needed. For domestic violence to be a thing of the past.
But until that happens I want us to try and strive to give more money year on year. There will be years where we can’t give more money but what we’ve done in recent years, bringing in a board, a stronger IT system and a back office means that we’re building ourselves a stronger foundation, therefore we will be around for longer and hopefully continue to help Women’s Aid and sleep better at night knowing there is a safety net for us all.”
The event ended with actions that we can all take moving forward and the reminder that Women’s Aid is there to support when needed. If you or someone you know is affected by this and is seeking support, Women’s Aid have a helpline: National Helpline 0808 2000 247
You can also reach out through The Survivors Forum: https://survivorsforum.womensaid.org.uk/
16 Days of Activism
Whilst we hope for a safer future for all, currently it is reported that at least 1 in 3 women experience domestic abuse. 16 Days of Activism raises awareness about gender based violence and Women’s Aid have created a pack with impactful actions we can take through a 16 day calendar to help make a difference.
