5.5km for 50 days for Domestic Abuse Awareness

Terry Jones Solicitors - Walk, run or swim 5.5km for 50 days

Raising money for SODA and Shropshire Domestic Abuse Service.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, highlighting the continuing problem in the UK of domestic violence against both men and women. It’s estimated that 5.5% of adults aged between 16 to 74 experienced some form of domestic abuse in the past year. That’s over 2.3 million people who are living in fear of either mental or physical abuse. In the worst cases, domestic violence can lead to serious injury or even death. But for many who suffer years of low-level but damaging abuse, it’s the long-term mental effects that can have the greatest impact.

What is Domestic Violence Awareness month?

The whole of October 2021 has been dedicated to bringing these statistics into sharp relief, and to allow communities to come together and challenge not just the stigma of domestic abuse, but to help victims and survivors start to rebuild their lives by raising money to fund support services and refuge centres.

It’s an opportunity for organisations, individuals and communities to raise awareness about domestic abuse. One in three women and one in four men suffer at the hands of their partners and are subjected to sexual abuse, physical and mental trauma, resulting in around 52% of women and 17% of men suffering from severe PTSD. The initiative first started in 1981 as a single day in the USA. But sadly, with so many cases of domestic violence reported around the world every year, the need for greater visibility and a much wider awareness campaign was needed.

Domestic Violence Awareness month started in 1989 and is the result of years of campaigning by various groups including women’s refuges, social support organisations, and care services. The aim is to make sure that survivors of abuse are never forgotten, and that the campaign is constantly in the spotlight, highlighting the dangers of not just physical, but emotional abuse too.

Terry Jones Solicitors – how our team are supporting Domestic Violence Awareness month

To support this cause, members of Terry Jones Solicitors are taking part in a ‘Walk, Run or Swim 5.5km for 50 days’. The basis of the 5.5km for 50 days is that statistics show it takes around 50 incidences of abuse before a partner leaves and according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW). Combined with the 5.5% of adults experiencing domestic abuse and you have the 5.5km in 50 days target.

Team members Jacyn Richardson, Tia Bickley, Sarah Reynolds and Alice Langton are aiming to raise funds for two local organisations that provide help for victims. SODA and Shropshire Domestic Abuse Service. SODA stands for Survivors Of Domestic Abuse and was founded in 2009 by Sam Billingham, who had survived her own experiences of domestic abuse. She wanted to create a safe space for survivors to find help, recover, and connect with others who would understand what they’ve been through.

Shropshire Domestic Abuse Service provides an extensive range of resources and support for all survivors of abuse, including children, young adults and the LGBTQI+ community, and is a Women’s Aid Federation member.

How you can help?

During lockdown, incidences of domestic abuse have risen sharply, with many victims feeling that they’re trapped and have no escape. The 5.5km for 50 days challenge will raise money to support organisations across the UK that provide safe havens for survivors and their children.

Terry Jones Solicitors is delighted to be supporting this cause, and will be cheering Jacyn, Tia, Sarah and Alice on every step of the way. We’d like you to get involved, too.

You don’t have to commit to the 5.5km for 50 days target, but if you’d like to support our team by helping us to raise funds for two essential organisations that provide invaluable help to people at severe risk, then check out our GoFundMe page and donate today.