Hello, I'm Petronela, the founder of Petronela's Hope.

Four years ago, my children and I landed in a refuge with nothing but a small room to share. I was terrified, but I needed to be strong so that my children felt safe. We rebuilt our lives piece by piece with resilience, love, and the goodwill of strangers.

Today, the demand is urgent. Last year, an estimated 1.6 million women in England and Wales experienced domestic abuse, accounting for almost one in every fifteen women. Over 105,000 children live in households where abuse is considered high-risk. When women seek sanctuary, nearly 6 out of every 10 referrals are denied owing to a shortage of available space. This is why we're launching Give Hope, a welcoming, confidential refuge where women and children can receive immediate safety, healing, and a road to independence.

What Give Hope Will Provide

��� Emergency shelter in a safe and welcoming home.

Provides trauma-informed counselling and personalised assistance.

Provide nutritious meals and vital supplies.

Support for children to continue learning and growing.

⚖️ Support for independence through safety planning, legal/financial assistance, and job readiness.

Our startup objective and budget

We are raising £75,000 to launch and operate for the first year:

Rent and renovations: £36,000.

Furnishings cost £15,000.

Food and daily essentials: £12,000

Counselling and support services cost £12,000.

Each gift no matter how small safeguards a life.

Learn more, get in touch, and help in other ways.

Please visit petronelasshope.org to see what has already been accomplished, read powerful testimonies, and contact us using the form. We'd love to hear from you.

You may also buy Petronela's book, Choose to Never Give Up, with the profits going directly to the charity.

Please support and share this campaign. Every pound and every sharing takes us closer to opening Give Hope's doors and welcoming our first families home.

With gratitude,

Petronela Zilik

Founder & Director, Petronela's Hope (petronelasshope.org)

Sources

Office for National Statistics (CSEW), Domestic abuse victim characteristics, YE March 2024.

Women's Aid: Nowhere to Turn 2024

SafeLives, MARAC national dataset, 2023

NCDV, Domestic Abuse Statistics UK (accessed September 10, 2025).