These are not just bag packers…
If you visit Marks and Spencer in Northgate, Darlington on Saturday 13th December you will find people helping to pack your shopping. They will be there to raise money for Darlington’s Domestic Abuse Service run by Carr-Gomm in partnership with Social Services. All the bag packers are staff, who work every day with survivors of domestic abuse, providing the support people need to rebuild their lives.
Wendy, a Carr-Gomm support worker, urged people to help them raise money on Saturday by having their shopping packed. “We see so many people who really need our help and we see the difference it makes,” she said. “We just want to raise as much money as possible to make sure we are able to give them all the support they need at a time when they need it most.”
“Domestic abuse shatters lives. On average two women a week are killed by a current or former male partner. Abuse isn’t just physical; it’s emotional, financial or sexual. It affects not only the victim but any children who may witness the abuse,” Wendy added.
The Darlington Domestic abuse service opened in July 2007. Since then, over 800 referrals have been made to the service. For many of the clients that access it, Carr-Gomm is their only lifeline. One client told us “I cannot express enough how important it has been for me to have Wendy, my support worker. If I had not had her support I would have felt like a victim, and would still be in the marital home unable to do anything about my situation”.
Carr-Gomm’s domestic abuse service offers practical and emotional support, information and advice. Clients can get support to attend court and are helped to remain in their own home or be rehoused.
