Plymouth-based charity raises more than £23,000 to support domestic abuse survivors

More than 250 walkers took part in Trevi’s Warrior Women’s Walk on Sunday, 16th October, raising more than £20,000 for the Plymouth based charity.

Many women who walked have been affected by trauma and abuse, whether personally or through a loved one; and all are eager to see a future without violence against women and girls and women.

Hayley Dann, Trevi Fundraising and Marketing Lead said, ‘We hoped this walk would bring together strong, courageous women and it did just that. We’d like to say a massive thank you to all the women who took part in this year’s walk.

‘It was awesome and very emotional to see so many women joining in the fun with their friends and having such an amazing time! We have had so many lovely comments about the event.

‘We’re thrilled to have raised over £20,000 – a fantastic achievement especially given the tough times we are all experiencing at the moment.

‘We would like to say a special thank you to all those who have supported our walkers though sponsorship and donations. We still have so much coming in that the total is sure to rise, which is fantastic!’

Starting and finishing at the Burrator Reservoir Discovery Centre, the women walked the ten-kilometre route around the reservoir and towards Sheepstor, taking in some of the most stunning scenery that Dartmoor has to offer. Along the way they had a few fun activities to join in with including a camo make up selfie station, army style cargo net and activity course – all adding to the comradery of the ladies.

Jodie joined her 8 team members, the Rose Ramblers, for the walk and said, ‘Working for a Women’s Veteran Group I think the support women can give each other is amazing, this was a great opportunity to do just that. The Warrior Women’s Walk was powerful in giving myself and my training group not only time to problem solve but a protected and safe, women’s only space and this was really strong.’

Lindsay joined by her Mum, Tracy who had travelled all the way from Cardiff for the walk, said: ‘Taking part in the warrior walk was incredibly inspiring. To see women supporting women left me with a sense of pride knowing that I was just a small part of the journey.

‘It showed that no women are ever alone in a battle, there is always someone to have your back. Whether it was holding a stranger’s hand as they jumped over a puddle or giving that little bit of encouragement to someone who needed that boost. That's exactly what Trevi achieved with this walk and I for one cannot wait until next year.’

Kate and Sadie walked together and said ‘We have had such a brilliant time its been such a great walk. The weather has been glorious and the energy has been amazing.’

Sadie added, ‘It’s been wonderful to walk with so many Warrior Women setting out for this great cause. Such a great walk and friendly volunteers, everything was so well organised - just fantastic.’

Loren who walked with her 2 year old daughter and said, ‘I loved doing the walk, there was a massive sense of support and solidarity from the other participants, and it was so much fun. To see my daughter surrounded by such strong, inspirational women was amazing and we cant wait to do it again next year!’

At a time when domestic abuse, addiction and mental ill health are all rising it is really important for Trevi to be able to increase the reach and effectiveness of their services to those women in need. Many women do not seek help early enough, and they want to ensure these vulnerable women have someone to turn to.

The money raised from the walk will help support women fleeing domestic abuse, helping her to move to a safe place, and begin to heal from abuse and trauma. Trevi supports women whatever their journey from rehab and health to housing and employment, they help any woman in recovery move from ‘surviving’ to ‘thriving’.

Hannah Shead, Trevi CEO said, ‘Sometimes we can think that issues around domestic abuse, mental health or addiction happen somewhere else, but actually it’s in our community and in all our lives. To see the support for this event really reflects that. The money raised here today will help transform the lives of women in Plymouth and the surrounding areas.’

This year the Warrior Womens Walk was sponsored by Feed Move Live in Plymouth as well as many other community-based organisations and businesses.

Ben from Feed Move Live said , ‘It’s been an absolute pleasure for Feed.Move.Live. to support Trevi on their maiden Warrior Women’s 10k walk. I was fortunate enough to spend time with its organisers , volunteers participants throughout the day and witnessed a universal passion for the charities work . Whether the 10k was easy or hard the support for one another was a lovely thing to see.

‘We hope to be invited back next year to support such a wonderful day.’

Trevi hope that this will be the first of many more Warrior Women’s Walks. They already have plan to be back bigger and better next year when the charity will be celebrating 30 years of supporting women and their children affected by domestic abuse since the charity was established in 1993.

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