Wiltshire domestic abuse survivor giving back to those who helped her
Sam's shared her story and is urging others to flee abusive relationships
A survivor of domestic abuse is giving back to the Wiltshire-based charity that helped her escape her ordeal.
Sam left an abusive relationship three years ago with the help of FearFree, and has since been helping raise money to aid their efforts in supporting others fleeing abuse.
Describing the relationship with her former-partner as "mentally abusive", full of coercive control and narcissistic behaviour from the perpetrator, Sam told Greatest Hits Radio she'd attempted to leave the relationship once before.
She said: "I tried to leave the September beforehand, of which he obviously the normal thing with narcissistic is that they'll go: 'I'll change this, that and the other', obviously I believed him. He never changed."
Her abuser then made a threat to kill Sam, meaning she was left with no choice but to leave.
'They made everything much easier'
When trying to find a place of safety, she found Women's refuges were costly for people who are working, with the need to pay three figure sums every week.
Fortunately, for Sam, a family member in Bristol was able to put her up before she reached out to FearFree.
"They helped me massively," Sam says, "They started doing help with getting emergency prohibited steps orders and things like this in place, contacting all the right people.
"It then went on to housing, it all just made it so much easier because they do a lot of it for you because you've got so much going through your head anyway, of what to do with your children.
"It's so overwhelming, but they were absolutely fantastic."
Giving back to help others flee abuse
Now with her life back-on-track, Sam's been giving back to FearFree.
She raised over ÂŁ100 with a bake sale and is also planting seeds to continue her fundraising for the charity.
And her connection with FearFree is leading to the charity's first fashion show which will be held at a bar in Wiltshire next month.
"It's a charity close to my heart," Sam told us, "I want to help other people that are in the same situation I was in."
Sam admits she's not completely over the trauma of what she's been through and her children are receiving continued support from the charity, due to the behaviour of their father.
Naturally, she worries when her children are with him.
"When they are in his care, I can't protect them. I've done all of this to protect them."
But through the continued support of FearFree, her children are getting additional support.
"It promotes healthy relationships for them, that's what they talk about and things like that. So hopefully it will stop the cycle of abuse."
Sam is encouraging people to be brave and leave abusive relationships, urging them to "just do it".
"Buildings, things, belongings can all be replaced, your life will be so much better without that abusive person in your life."