‘If it helps a survivor of domestic abuse we’re willing to do it’

Highly Commended at the 2023 Kent Mental Wellbeing Awards and now nominated for a second consecutive year A Survivor’s Story CIC is an inclusive organisation that supports men, women and children that are experiencing or have experienced domestic abuse.  Francesca Day from the awards team spoke to Charlotte Brampton (pictured above), the organisation’s Founder and Director, to get an update on their work.

 

A Survivor’s Story CIC (Community Interest Company) was established in January 2023 by Charlotte Brampton.  The team has now expanded to seven volunteers including: a second director and a secretary.  Phil Montague, Denise Dowsing and Abby Walker are key members of the team who help to deliver A Survivor’s Story’s services.

All those who work with A Survivor’s Story, including Charlotte its founder, have either experienced domestic abuse or have supported a loved one through it.

What makes A Survivor’s Story different from other organisations that support those who experience domestic abuse is that their clients are women, children and men.

When they first started there was a discussion and an acknowledgement that there wasn’t a lot available locally for men.

Among the services that A Survivor’s Story offer to those who contact them for help are their support packs which contain information about national and local charities and companies that can help them access help and professional support.  The support packs also include toiletries which come from The Hygiene Bank and if required items geared towards children such as colouring books, pens and a cuddly toy.

It’s not just residents of Maidstone that are benefitting from the work of A Survivor’s Story.  Charlotte explained that they have started shipping support packs to Devon, Norwich, London, Scotland and Yarmouth.  This is a response to discussions with other organisations that they had previously contacted to obtain posters so that they could raise awareness of their work.

When asked if they wanted some support packs many of them said that there was nothing like that available in their area.  In the next month following my interview with Charlotte 150-200 support packs will be sent out.  While this is time consuming and costly work for A Survivor’s Story Charlotte said that “if it helps a survivor we’re willing to do it”.

To help raise vital funds to get their weekly coffee mornings up and running and buy items for their support packs A Survivor’s Story organised and hosted a summer family fun day in 2023 at which they raised over £200.  It is hoped that this year’s event will be bigger and better and will take place on Saturday, 17 August 2024 at Langley Village Hall.  The summer holidays can be an expensive time for families so having an event like this with free entry is a great thing and it will also enable A Survivor’s Story to raise awareness of and fund their work.

In the run up to Christmas in 2023 a toy drive was organised to collect gifts for men, women and children in local refuges.  Over 500 presents were donated, collected, sorted and distributed.  Charlotte wanted to thank the Bridgewood Manor Hotel and Spa, Dunelm Maidstone and the Great Danes Hotel for hosting their collection stations.  Due to the volume of donations the volunteers (many of whom work full-time and/or have caring responsibilities), family members and friends who rallied to help had to make 7-8 trips to each of the locations to collect the gifts.  Charlotte described this time as being “great fun but very stressful”.

A Survivor’s Story has only been in operation for just over a year but they are already making a difference to the lives of the men, women and children that they support through providing support packs, organising events like the summer family funday, Christmas toy drive and weekly coffee mornings in the Parkwood area of Maidstone.  They are also helping organisations in other parts of the UK by supplying them with support packs to help those experiencing domestic abuse.

To nominate an individual, organisation or initiative for the Kent Mental Wellbeing Awards, or to find out more, visit www.kentmentalwellbeingawards.org.uk